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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1946)
mm mm Weather FORECAST; Xncrfts( ft I g h cloudiness tonight. Generally cloudy Thursday with frit tered rain showers. Slightly warmer tonight and Thurs day. Temp. Highest Yesterday ... , Lowest this Morning . t Fortieth Year CORONER WEEPS AT INQUEST IN WDHAPMURDER Father Describes Last Time He Saw Little Girl Alive Janitor Main Suspect. Chicago, Jan. 9 OJ.PJ Even the coroner wept today as the father of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan appeared at an inquest into the sadistic murder of the child. Tears trickled down the cheeks of Coroner A, L. Brodie while the father, James Degnan, 38, described the last time he saw his golden-haired little girl live. After Degnan left the packed . and stuffy hearing room, Brodie wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and murmured: "This is tough to take." Testimony Brief The father, an OPA executive, was at the Inquest for only a few moments. "When was the last time you saw Suzanne alive?" Brodie ask ed in almost a whisper. "It was about midnight Sun day," Degnan said firmly. "I got up to take her to the bathroom." A few hours later, a kidnaper broke into the child's bedroom, strangled her, carried her from the house, attempted to attack her, and then viciously cut up her tiny body. Continue Cat Brodie, regaining his com posure, then continued the in quest until Jan. 30. Capt. John L. Sullivan, of the Summerdale police district, said authorities need the additional time for in vestigation and the search for the child's slayer. Veteran attaches of the cor oner's office said that today was the first time they had seen him shed a tear at an inquest. Meanwhile, police began ques tioning every person known to have a key to the "murder base ment" where a sex fiend dis membered the child's body. The number one subject of the police examination was the 65-year-old janitor of the north side apartment building where authorities said the body of the kidnaped girl was dissected. He is Hector Verburgh, a greying grandfather, who stolidly main tained his innocence. Friend Grilled Next to Verburgh, detectives concentrated on Desere Smet, 35, who was reported to be a close friend of Verburgh and a janitor in three apartment build ings near the murder scene. Smet denied he knew Verburgh. Authorities learned that all tenants of the 12-apartment building had keys to the laundry room where, detectives said, the girl was butchered, shortly aft er she was taken from her bed room early Monday. An attorney for the Flat Jan itor's TFninn nnneared before Chief Justice Harold G. Ward of criminal court today to ask for the release of Verburgh, his wife, Mary, and Smet on habeas corpus writs. Atty. Joseph Ricker told the court the three should be re leased because no charges had been placed against them. "The Verburghs are old peo np ' he said, "and we know what they go through when they are grilled by the police. Newcomer Praises Local Climate At Kiwanis Meeting Pointing out Medford's suit able climate and favorable loca tion for raw materials for his business. Cecil Ray More, who established a display manufac turing firm here early this month, addressed local Kiwan ians at their luncheon meeting at the Ho. lane1 hotel this noon. More showed samples of his firm's work which included pre served artichokes, palm fronds and manzan'ta boughs. A high-light of the meeting occurred when Lyall Fidler re moved Carey Thomson's shirt and contributed it for the old clothing drive. Thomson is coun ty chairman of the drive. MEDFORD Unlttd Freu Yanks Mass in Protest Against Slow ;WHAT 5. ; DOES 'f'ewriofi (Acmt Tthphalo) Portion of the more than 50.000 soldiers who gathered near City Hall in Manila. P. I., in mass protestation of announcement of demobilization slow down. Lieut. Gen. W, D. Styer told a delegation from the angiy throng that the U. S, Army will keep a garrison of 375,000 In the Pacific to protect American Interest. Eisenhower Tells Truman Clamoring GIs "Good Men" - Denies Discipline Breached Washington, Jan. 9 U.R Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, army chief of staff, told Presi dent Truman today that GI's clamoring to be sent home from Manila "are good men" and in no way guilty of breaches of discipline. He also told the prestdem that, despite the current criti cism at home and abroad, the REOS FOMENTING MASS PROTESTS OFFICER CLAIMS Frankfurt, Jan. 9 (U.P A mob of mora than S.00Q GI' attempted to storm Gen, Joseph T. McNarney's head quarters in Frankfurt at the height of a demobilisation demonstration tonight but was turned back by armed para troop guards. By United Press GI demonstrations against de mobilization delays spread around the world today with new outbreaks both in Europe and the Pacific. In Yokohama Col. Charles A. Mahoney. provost marshal, charged that a demonstration in the presence of Secretary of War Fiobert Patterson was fomented by "communists and bolshe viks." Mahoney was answered bv GI's who circulated a pamphlet calling for a mass protest meet ing Thursday ana cnarjimKi Mahoney with cursing the Gl'si and acting in a manner unbe-i coming an officer and gentle man. May Peril Forces Lt. Gen. Charles P. Hall, act ing commander of the 8th army in Japan, warned that the posi tion pt American occupation forces would be jeopardized if the army continues to redeploy troops more rapidly than re placements are shipped overseas. In the Philippines military police investigated a wild shoot ing spree which followed the kiliine of a neero soldier by .a white sentry outside Manna. ro. one was injured in the outbreak but 80 negro troops were neu. Demand Point Cut In Honolulu a rally of 2,500 trooos demanded a cut of 10 points per month in the dis-j legislature, came to Jacksonville! The marriage ceremony was charge point system. Lt. Gen. to reside in 1851. Nye' mother; performed by Justice of the Robert C. Richardson, Jr., I was Amantha Burt, pioneer of Peace M. E. Ward. Harold Mum promised to send their protest to! Dnuglas -ounty. jmey and Carol Walton, court t Gens. Dwight D. Eisenhower and The deceased was married to, taches, acted as witnesses. Douglas MacArthur. In Frankfurt GIs distnoutea handbills for a mass protest The childien are Mrs. Hope march and meeting tonight de- Hedgpeth, Mrs. Marian Bean, claring "if it takes a demonstra-i Mrs. Irene Jantzer, Waldo P. tion to help us we will give them j Nye, Emery G. Nye and Ivbo one to remember." One handbill Nye. Also surviving are four wjs stuck in the four-star license teen grandchildren, one great nlate of Gen. Joseph T. McNar-j grandchild and a sister, Mrs ncy'i sedan. Full Leaud Wire rvw FAP5 G 1 '" army must not be permitted to; demobilize at a rate that would shrink it below minimum re-: quirements. Beport Requested The staff chief's statement was In response to a presidential re quest for a report on the recent Manila demonstrations. It came at a time when the army was attempting to speed up its process of combing out non-essential personnel and cut ting its strength to absolute minimum needs. Theater com manders are being asked to send home all men who can be spar ed, regardless of whether they have enough points for dis charge. Eisenhower presented Mr. Truman with information sup plied by Gen. Douglas Mac- Arthur and Lt. Gen. William D Styer, commanding genera! s western Pacific army forces. I quoted MacArthur as saying O' the Manila demonstrators: "These are good men who have wrfnrmni mapnifieentlv under campaign conditions and; inherently are not challenging: discipline or authority." ! Mainly Homesick MacArthur attributed their; discontent primarily to "acutei homesickness aggravated by the termination of hostilities." Eisenhower said Styer had re ported to MacArthur that mass disciplinary action" no had been undertaken "by respon- sible commanders" against the) emerged with a bundle, and was complaining soldiers because killed by the sentry after refus there had been no acts of vio-ing to halt, army headquarters lence or disorder. MacArthur, ' said. the staff chief said, approved the) Negro troops from the dead decisions made by Styer. man's camp seized weapons Meanwhile congressional criticism of the demonstration NELSON NYE, 74. PIONEER, PASSES Nelson Nye, "4, one of the oldest pioneers of this section, died Jan, 8 at the home of his daughter, Mrs, Marian Bean. Prospect. Funeral yervices will be held at the family's private cemetery on the home ranch at Prospect at three o'clock Friday, Jan. II. Friends may attend. Nye was the first white child born in Klamath county his birth having taken place at Klamath Falls March 29, 1871. His father, Chauncey Nye, a member of the first Oregon Clarice Paul m 1891 and she andi six of their children survive. i Elsie Phipjis. j ivLAXJ . .. IN11AI IIE-IIP MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY Demobilization SERVICI SERFDOM 3 ' program persisted. Rep. Clar ence J. Brown, O., member of the house republican policy com mittee, was not Impressed by the strong defense of the pro gram which President Truman made yesterday. He said a con gressional investigation was necessary. . . . .... 1 These developments occurred as the war department reported that the 5,000,000th soldier to be discharged since V-E day would be released today. In response to world-wide clamor of GI's to be sent home, the army was accelerating Its efforts to release all men who could be spared. NEGRO, WHITE GJ.S BATTLE IN MANILA MBnlla, Jan. 8 (U.Rl U, S military police announced today that they were holding 80 negro soldiers during investigation in- to a wild hour of gunfire which followed the fatal shooting of a negro soldier by a white sentry. The riot occurred Monday night at the 10th quartermaster depot in suburban Quezon City. An unidentified negro soldier from an Bdjacent camp broke in- to the quartermaster eompoundi from their supply roomandfired!fonned murces beijeved that them for an hour as a demon-i stration against his death. Lieut. Col, T. R. Little, Cape' Girardeaux, Mo., commander of j the military police battalion I which broke up the shooting! fray, said nobody was killed ex- j ccpt the man shot by the sentry. ' PAPPY MARRIES CALIFORNIA GIRL Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. SH).K Lt. Col. Gregory (Pappy) Boy- ington, who this week announced , he had changed his mind about j marrying New York socialite j Lucy Maicolmson, married Fran- i ces Baker, 32, of Los Angeles here vesterday, it was announc- ! ed today. It was not immediately Known wnere tne ooymgions wens an- er the ceremony. Marriage records showed Boy - ington had been divorced in Se - attle in 1941 and that his bride J "I'm getting tremendous won her freedom from a pre- j mail," Morse told a reporter to vious mate in San Francisco in day. "It's running 9 to 1 in sup 1932. 'port of my position. And it (Alo set wry past 10j, CHINESE FACTIONS FAIL TO AGREE ON CEASE FIRE HER Prospects Not Bad But Diffi cult. Government Repre sentative Tells Reporters. Chungking, Jan. S U, Chinese nationalist and com munist representatives meeting with Gen. George C. Marshall adjourned today without agree ing on an expected cease-fire order in China's civil war. Following their fourth confer ence, Gen. Chang Chun, govern ment representative, told re porters that details had not yet been settled. "The prospects are not bad but difficult," he added. Asked If he was still hopeful, Gen. Marshall said. "Oh, yes. My gracious, yes." He said no unforeseen diffi culties had arisen. The tabloid newspaper Hsin Mto Pao said remaining difficul ties Involved the penetration of Jehol province. The communists were said to be insisting that the nationalists halt in their present positions. The government was reported determined to take over the communbt-held provincial capi tal of Chengteh and the central Jehol town of Chihfeng. The nationalists, who began taking over the province 10 days aeo. were reported within 60 miles of each objective. D.A.V.11ASES SITE FOR BUILDING Purchase of the lot at the corner of Front and Fifth street, directly across from the Grand Hotel by the Jackson County chapter of the Disabled Ameri can Veterans was announced to day. The property, purchased from George Barnum at a re ported cost of $5000, will be used as the site of a building for the use of the DAV chapter and auxiliary. Lester Mathes. chairman of the building committee of the chapter, states that construction of the building will begin as soon as financial arrangements have been completed and ma ter's i can oe secured. FAR EAST COMMISSION INVITED RUSSIA AGAIN Yokohama, Jan. 9 tU,R) A new invitation to participate in the Allied Far Eastern commis sion's activities has been sent to Russia. Commisison Chairman Maj. Gen. Frank R. McCoy re vealed today. He said the commission has not yet received any reply from the Soviet government and in- Russia would not be represented on the commission a present delegation in Japan. The delegation arrived at 2:30 p. m. Wednesday (Tokyo time), Frankfurt, Jan. ft CURS Capt. William Atterberry of the American military government ha been convicted of black marketing in a French wine deal and fined $10,000, U. S. Seventh army headquarters announced today. Morse Says Mail Supports Statement GOP Reactionary Washington, Jan. S (U.PJ Sen. Wayne Morse, R., Ore., said today his mail i "running 9 to 1" in support of his contention that the republican party as rep resented by Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., O., is too reactionary. Morse voiced his criticism last week after Taft had declared that President Truman's legisia- : tive program wa mostly "CIO - ; PAC j comet uwo ail over th repubii- RIBUNE United Pr Fall 9, 1946, Truman's Message Scheduled Jan. 17 Washington, Jan. 9 U. The White House announced to day that President Truman's state-of-the-union message will be sent to congress ore Jan. IT. This will be two days after the new session begins. On Jan. 21, the president will send his budget message to the house and senate. PLAYMATE KILLED N SUICIDE PACT Eureka, Cat, Jan. 9 (U.B District Attorney Jeremiah Scott said today a murder charge may be filed against Glenn Griffith, 13, of Carlotta, Cal.. who admit ted killing a playmate as part of a "suicide pact.' The boy told sheriffs depu ties that he and Albert Weseott 13. also of Carlotta, agreed to kill themselves Monday and went to Griffith's barn with their .22 caiiber rifles. Griffith said he shot himself In the stomach, and lost con sciousness. When he regained consciousness, he told the offi cers, he found that Westcott had not attempted to commit suicide so he shot his friend three times and then killed Wescott's dog. Relatives heart the shots and rushed to the barn to find the Weseott boy dead. Griffith was taken to the Scotia hospital, 30 mites south of here. He was re ported to be recovering. Phone Installers Have No Quarrel With P.T.&T.Co T. Tf, Tellwrlght, vice presi dent and general manager tor Oregon for the Pacific Tele phone and Telegraph company made the following statement this morning, according to word received by R, B. Hammond manager here. "The Western Electric Em ployees association representing some l?,2a0 members employed at Kearny, N. J., and nine asso ciated manufacturing plants of the Western Electric company In New York end New Jersey have been on strike since January 3. "The association representing Western Electric company slallation department employees throuehout the country ii re- norted by the press to have call ed a strike of its members January 9. "The Western Electric em-j oloyees involved are tnanufsc- .rmg ..u ""'" r"-" the publie. "These strike actions do not arise from any dispute with The any dispute with The iePL,eP& Telegraph The responsibility of Pacific Tele eomoany. out company and of all Its people Is to give the public un interrupted telephone service. This is the first duty of the com pany and employees alike. Our company urgently requests ail employees to do their full duties P' jWHlV te1 ? l"om rPmbsM I: the public 2 HELD IN JAIL FOR GOLD HILL BURGLARY Lee O. Plympten and Ethmer H. Boen, addresses unknown, are lodged In the Jackson county jail charged with burglary In a dwelling. A charge of carrying concealed weapons also faces Boen, slate police who made the arrest stated. The pair was ac cused of burglarizing a dwelling in Gold Hill last night. ' can section of the country." Morse said the reaction "sim ply means what I've always said if the republican voters ever had a chance to cast a vote on what progressive republican) stand for as opposed to the old : guard, they overwhelmingly would vote Wr a mldetle-of-the- road, liberal philosophy." "The trouble Is the old guard 1 controls republican convention i machinery," Morse said, but added: They're going to have to start a groundswel! so Impelling that they can nominate a repub lican ot the bvojwn tji," Laatad Wire NO, 248, STEEL WORKERS AND CORPORATION TO RESUME TALK Decision To Renew Negotia tions Bolsters Hope For Averting Monday Walkout Washington, Jan. S U.B The United Steel Workers (CIOl and the U. S, Steel Corp. agreed today to resume wage negotia tions. The agreement Immediate ly raised hope hers that the nation-wide rteei strike schedul ed for next Monday can be averted. The decision to resume bar gaining was, announced by Presi dent Truman's fact-finding board. The board thus far has deferred hearings on the union's S2 a-i.Jay wage demand hoping that s settlement could be reach ed through direct negotiations. Panel Chairman Nathan P. Feinslnger released 1 statement at a press conference announcing that the board was "ready to do everything possible to facilitate the final settlement of this dis pute through collective bargain ing." MAYORAISALL TO COOPERATE IN CUIING DRIVE Mayor Clarence A. Meeker and other eMe leaders of the city today urged everyone to cooperate in the clothing drive now underway to aid needy peo ple of the war-devastated tour trie. In addition donors were urged to write short friendly notes or letters. Including name and ssidres. snd attach these to article or bundies of clothing. In a proclamation urging the cooperation of ail the city' resi dent Mayor Meeker I d: "Whereas millions of pie in Use war-dcvasfalea iamt oi Europe, China and the Philip pine are in dire need of cloth ing, shoes and bedding and are subject to death from exposure, and Whereas the meeting of this urgent need overseas will serve not only to relieve auflerlng I humanity but will Bid liberated peoples to revive their economic life and enable their rehabilitat ed countries to contribute a full I """" "JSTli" le creation of a and president has said that the need it imperative and Justifies a second appeal to the American people, I there fore urge all religious, educa tional, patriotic, civic, fraternal buisness and labor croups to co- cerate in this collection and i urge contributor to attach good- will messages to their gifts." Pick-up Arranged Committees from the Junior Ing the drive, in cooperation with Medford churches, have ar-1 ranged for boxes and barrels at) business house and stores and j pick-up front these Is in charge i of Reginald Stags, Quota fori this county Is 50,000 garments. Carey Thompson, genera chairman, has expressed the be lief that the quota will be easily met and said "The need for clothing by the destitute persons of Europe and the Far East should be obvious to all. In near ly every household some article of clothing, no longer needed, can and must be found." , In addition to other groups, a plea for the assistance of Scout troops and Granges throughout the county has also j been made. Needed for the drive arc wearing apparel of all kinds. blankets, shoes, old draperies or blackout curtains. These should be wranoed in convenient bun - and dies for easier handling. j shoes, overshoes, boots and like j articles should be securely tied More than 30 inches of rain fell in Tampa, Florida, during the mis weeks beginning with June 15th. following the longest ury jieU oa murd. . IS THREATENED BY INSTALLING CREW Portland, Grants Pass, Eu gene, Dallas Workers Out; Dial Service llnaffscted. AU lesg-distanca calls p!c 4 through th Hcdford sfflc today win bales esspltl without delay it was i"atd by Mm chief sparctsr t Rssn. No nmr eoncRstag th t:-up st Fsrtland bccaisw of th walk-sff of Communica tion Eqmpmasi workM hd btn xeijf st th Isecl of tst, it a said. By United Fr Telephone installation work ers; left their jobs fat 14 dUe today, threatening i nationwide communications tie-up l n d bringing the number of Ameri can workers idled by strikes to 389,000. Threatened stoppages to th steel, meat, electrical and com munication industries, plus passible Mew York City CIO walkout, would add approxi mately 2,000.000 other workers to the nation atrika total. Portland, Ore., Jan. 8 flMB Long distance telephone facili ties to Portland were partially tied up today when local ?5 of the Association at Communica tions Equipment Worker walk ed off the Job to lympslhy for the Western Electric company strike. Local President Dan Ham said about 250 members of his union in Oregon and v ashsng- ton would Join the walkout. H J said installers to Grants Pass, Eugene and Dallas, all to Ore gon, left thetr Jobs a short tim before the Portland workers struck at It m. m. PUn Pickt Linn The union official said that unless the Western Electrie company strike to settled by Fri day morning, picket line will be established about the Port land main office of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph com pany and two main branch ex changes. Such picket line would fur ther cripple telephone service because Edward T. Healy, presi dent of the United Telephone Company employes of Oregon, said members of his union will refuse to pass through. Dials Working Local service was unaffected because It to serviced by dial telephones. Dial service would suffer in event repairs were needed, be eeuse only conimunicatioa men may do the work, Press, radio and emergency telephone circuits were not ex pected to be Bffected, with su pervisory employes hassdiing their operation. Heaiy called mass meeting i of unionist for tonight. H said one third ol ni unions J.uuu members are employed Is Port lend, "While we have no floarret with the telephone company, w most respect a picket line," Heaiy said. The A.C.E.W. to a anion com posed entirely of installation workers. The sympathy gestur is in connection with the West ern Electric installers strike in Use east. Hcaly said the eastern strike was called because no agreement has been reached aft er nine months of negotiating for wage increases. Rtchard Smith, 12 M;; . tj. MtSStng t TOTTl home Richard Smith, 12-year-old son of May E, Smith, 1115 East Slain street, was reported to city P He yesterday as missing. Offi- Is cers were told the boy teft foe Junior high school yesterday morning and did not return home last evening. The boy, who was wesHng tan sweater, brown leather jack et, and reel cap, and riding a bi cycle, was believed to be en route to Tacoma, Wash., front which the Smith family recently moved to Medford, police said. SIDE GLANCES Br TRIBUNE REPORTERS Fire Chief Rot Elliott recalt- ; issg his boyhood days and such ! nrank m tvine rats toeether by their talis. Jerry Jerome broadcasting his intentions of getting both feet into heaven. Florence Dean delving inta , details of what become of old ietotlie, 1
