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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1953)
U. F. Uill aons Me United Press Full 48th Year 18 Pages Greek Island Said Sinking; Entire City Demolished Island Inhabitants Said Mad With Fear Athens (U.R) Shattering new earthquakes demolished an entire city and brought death to hundreds today and frantic police on the Greek island of Cephalonia radioed that the island was "sinking" and "all is crumbling down." Today's temblors, most violent of a three -day series, destroyed Argostolios, capital of Cepha lcnia, and spread devastation across two adjoining islands. Incomplete reports from the scene said 400 died andhundreds were injured in yesterday's de vastating quakes. There were no official estimates of the total killed and injured in the latest earth convulsions. 'Mad With Fear The police on Cephalonia sent this frenzied radio message after today's most violent shock: "We are all sinking. Send Navy to take off inhabitants. They are mad with fear. All is crumbling down. Heavy seas churned up by the quakes were reported breaking high along the island's coast. Ships sailing near Cephalonia reported the entire island is "obscured by a towering cloud of dust. Search For Bodies The town of Lixourion as well as Argostolios was reported "wiped out." The latest earth shocks rocked the island and the nearby islands of Ithaca and Zante as volunteers and police clawed through crumbled walls and explored gaping fissures in the earth for survivors and victims of yes terday's earthquakes. Landslides complicated rescue operations, it was reported. American authorities in Greece said helicopters were being sent to the shaken region to drop food and medical sup plies. San Francisco (U.R) The University of California seismo graph today recorded a strong earthquake, apparently centering at the tip of Siberia's Kamchatka peninsula, that started at 1:37 a.m. (PST) and lasted two hours! KBES-TVBIacked Out After Part Failure Broadcasting was temporarily interrupted over television sta tion KBES-TV yesterday and no evening programs were broad cast. Station officials said the interruption was caused by a connector for the single-bay an tenna which burned out A replacement part is being flown here from the General Electric plant at Syracuse, N.Y., and is expected to arrive in time for resumption of transmis sion this evening or tomorrow, station officials said. feed Tea Drink Causes Broken Toe Pendleton (U.R) Tee totaler Luke Cowapoo, Indian chief of the Round-Up. nursed a broken toe today because his favorite drink is iced tea. The chief dropped a big chunk of ice on his toe while preparing the summer drink. (taste Oj w e 15-Year-Old Jailed After Wrecking City A 15-year-old Oklahoma youth was jailed late yesterday by city and state police after allegedly stealing a city police car and wrecking it near Camp Prescott on the Roxy Ann butte road, according to city officers. The police department discov ered the patrol car was missing after a civilian was reported driving a police car down East Jackson st. at about 60 miles an hour. It "had been parked on Fifth st. alongside the police sta tion. Set Up Road Blocks City police gave chase, aided by six state officers. They found the car, upside down and aban doned, on the butte road. State police set up two road blocks and a search was started for the driver. . The manhunt led to a canyon near the butte, and in short BFORD Lease Wire JUt U vl X) . a i HHUM S" (HSSS HBM WmsSSSSSissssssssSSSSSS r:nr, XJ tx ; ON THE LAST LAP Repatriated American troops wave from the USS General Walker as it is about j to depart from Inchon harbor, Korea, on the last lap of what for many will be a long voyage home. 1 Troops in foreground are being taken to the General Walker in an LCU. Gold Hill Asphalt Paving Plant Target Of Abatement Order Portland (U.R) Foul-smelling smoke and dust from a port able asphalt plant at Gold Hill today caused the State Air Pollu tion Authority to issue the first abatement order against . air pollution in the state's History. The precedent -setting order was issued here at a special meeting of the Authority after it had received compliants from Richard Applegafe Said 'Quite Safe' - m , . Hong Kong (U.R) The con servative Chinese language news paper Wah Kiu quoted a re turning traveler Monday as say ing that three Americans cap tured by a Red China gunboat are "quite safe." B. H. Burchett, vice chairman of the Australia Communist China association, was quoted as authority for the statement that Richard Applegate, Medford. Ore., NBC and former United Press correspondent; Don Dixon, International News Service cor respondent, and Capt. Ben Kras ner of the merchant marine were safe. They were taken while on a yacht trip from Hong Kong to Macao. The brief published interview with Burchett said: "When asked for news of three Americans captured in a yacht by Chinese Communists, Burchett was silent for a few minutes before remarking that he had heard nothing special about them but that they were quite safe." (See Story en Page 1. Section 2) Dick Handle Takes Routine Road-e-o Tests Washington (U.R) Dick Ran dle, Medford, winner of the re cent Oregon Road-e-o contest, went through routine tests today with other contestants in the Na tional Road-e-o being held here this week. Officials said no running com pilation, of points was being made at this point in the safe driving contests which will con tinue through Saturday. Police Car order the culprit was surround ed and taken into custody after telling officers to go ahead and shoot him. He was jailed on a charge of larceny of a motor vehicle. During questioning by offi cers, the youngster stated that he was probably going 85 miles an hour wheif the car over turned. The mishap occurred when he met a truck on a cor ner, he said. Tells of Threat . Police said the boy told them someone threatened to kill him unless he stole a police car. The type of clothing he was wearing, and other information led them to believe the boy may be an escapee from a reformatory, they stated. The youth was scheduled to be turned over to juvenile au thorities after further questioning. MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1953 TJ i Gold Hill residents that the as phalt fumes were causing health and property damage. The asphalt plant, owned by Central Heating Co., Eugene, and F. L. Somers, Medford, was mixing paving material for the five-mile Highway 99 relocation project at Gold HilL It is under contract to the State Highway Department. Curtiss M. Everts Jr., secretary of the Authority, said property was damaged by the smoke and dust as far as a half-mile from the plant. A guest at a Gold Hill motel was reported to have re quired medical attention for respiratory ailment he alleged was aggravated by the fumes. Accompanying the abatement order was a request to the state attorney general to institute im mediate legal proceedings to en force the authority's order. F. L. Somers, Medford, one of the owners of an asphalt plant at Gold Hill which was the target of an abatement order by the State Air Pollution Authority today, is out of town and cannot be reached for comment. Hodge Returned to FaceMurderCharge Raymond Clifford Hodge, 37, San Francisco, who attempted to break from the Jackson county jail Sunday morning, was to be returned to California today by Marin county authorities on a warrant charging first degree murder, according to the dis trict attorney's office. Hodge had signed the waiver of extradition on the charge. He and another man have been held in Medford since June 19 when they were arrested south of Phoe nix and jailed on a charge of il legal possession of weapons. Since that time, they have de nied any knowledge of the mur der of Roy V. Kapphahn, 35, on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais on June 14. The other man, Duane Albert Hall, 40, of Salinas, Calif., will remain in the local jail for the time being, until a warrant from the California governor ar rives, completing his extradi tion, the office reported. He will also be charged with committing first degree murder, they said. Here to return Hodge to Marin county for prosecution were Don Midyett, undersheriff, and Sid ney Weber, inspector for the county sheriff's office. They will return for Hall later, they re ported. Italy Premier Fails To Form Government Rome U.R) Premier des ignate Attilio Piccioni told Ital ian President Luigi Einaudi to day he was unable to form a new government. Piccioni, 61, a Christian Demo cratic lawyer and World War I aviation pioneer, called at the president's summer residence at Caprarola, near here, to inform him of his decision. , . . The announcement, took the nation by surprise. It had been believed he had succeeded where former Premier Alcida de Gasperi failed. -1 Reorganization Of North Korean Government Told Tokyo (U.R) The Korean Red regime of Kim Sung an nounced today news purges and a sweeping reorganization of the government and Communist party. Seven high leaders were kicked out of the North Korean Communist party, a vice premier committed suicide, and former truce negrotiator Gen. Nam II rose another rung in the Red hierarchy in the course of the reshuffle. At the same time, Kim, in an addrassj-to -the Labor - (Com munist) Party Central committee In Pyongyang earlier this month, warned party members against relaxing after their "victory" in the fighting. Continuation of Purge Pongyang radio, voice of Red Korea, announced . that the changes were a continuation of the purge of "anti-party, anti state" elements. This purge was disclosed publicly for the first time Sunday night with the an nouncement of the trial of 12 Koreans on charges of running an "American-instigated" spy ring and conspiring to overthrow Kim II Sung. Gen. Nam II was named one of five men on a new party gov ernment committee. The ap pointment was a logical follow up after Nam became foreign minister when Pak Hung Yong was dismissed. Park Candy Machines Smashed; Trees Cut An undetermined number of candy bars -were stolen from a candy machine at Hawthorne park last night, city police re ported today. Failing to break open the candy machine inside the swim ming pool building, the culprits smashed a machine outside the building and took the bars that were on display. They also attempted to break open a pop machine, but failed. Considerable damage was done to both candy machines, police said. The pop machine was only slightly damaged. Medford police were notified by Robert A. Duff, city super intendent, that citizens living near city owned lots have com plained of children cutting down and destroying trees on the pro perty. Duff said that lots on Union st., 13th st., and Plum st. have been set aside for playgrounds by the city, and asked that po lice check on vandalism that has occurred on these locations. BASEBALL Brooklyn Hew York 6 8 0 S 12 2 Podres. Milliken, Hughes. L a b 1 n e and Campanellaj Gomes, Welhelm, Corwin and Noble. Westrum. Weather FORECAST: Fair thronfk Tbursdmjr, hat increasing cloudiness ever hicner moun tains. Low tonlrnt SS to (, high tomorrow S to IS. Temp. Mchctt Yesterday 10 Lowest this Morning ft United Press 1 fai Lumber, Fruifmen Join With Roseburg On Copco Rate Plan Grange Agriculture Group Opposes Hike Representatives of .Tsir. county s two largest industries lumber and agriculture have joined forces with th d.i -nam ber of Commerce in taking wv.a.uuc uii n proposed 20 Der cent "a WdIL ann KPP ' fit tit..J board increase in California u,cun x-ower company rates. Members of the Southern Ore gon Conservation and Tree Farm association last night passed a motion to back the Roseburg chamber. The motion wa. ,7. opposed. Fruit Men to Aid Dick Gray, representing the Rogue River Valley Traffic asso ciation at the meeting said that organization will work with the Roseburg chamber. He stated that last year the fruit industry paid an electric bill of some $75, 000, and that a check for 15 per cent of one-twelfth th.t that amount, the per cent sug- tsieu ay me rioseburg cham ber, will be contributed for use in retaining counsel to intervene in hearings on the requested in crease. Plan To Attend Other organizations, including the Medford Central Labor coun cil, have taken no action nn th matter se far, but are planning iu nave representatives at a hearing on the rate increase. The SOCTFA meeting last night was attended by more than 80 persons, including represents times of the lumber industry from Klamath Falls, Grants Pass, Lakeview, Roseburg and other southern lirrgnii fittasV1 i weTTas SOCTFA members. Speakers at the meeting in cluded Walter Evans, who has been retained as counsel for the Roseburg chamber . and other groups to intervene on their be helf at the hearing. SOCTA members also voted to aid finan cially in the retention of Evans. Several speakers pointed out that the DroDOsed increase wmild effect not only industry, but also nome owners, and that the 20 per cent hike, while not a large amount for any one group or person, would amount to a con siderable amount of money for the area. Would Be Taxed Evans added that a large per cent of the increase, if granted, would go into federal taxes paid by Copco. "We would hate to pay taxes that way," he said. He also reminded the group that Copco has received two "readjustments" involving rate increases in the past two years. He emphasized that the groups he represents are not out "to get Copco." They just want to be sure the utility has the increase coming, he said. Referring to the Grange agri cultural committee resolution, which is not connected with the Roseburg Chamber of Com merce plans, H. E. Conger, com mittee chairman, today said "With our products going lower and lower and taxes and other expenses going higher and high er, I don't see how we can afford a power increase. We use elec tricity for various work on our farms, particularly for pumping irrigation." The Grange agricultural com mittee is a 20-year-old valley or ganization made up of more than 60 members. It represents farm ers both in the Grange and those who do nt belong to that group. Americans Said Sent To Work in Siberia Houston, Tex. U.R The Communists are sending some American and Korean soldiers to work in Siberia instead of re leasing them through the pris oners exchange, the South Kor ean ambassador to the United State said here yesterday. He also said it would take $1,000,000,000 to rehabilitate his war torn country to pre-war level. Dr. You Chan Yang said Kor ean intelligence reports indi cated some U.S. soldiers and about 75,000 South Koreans are being held back by the Chinese Reds and he said some had been sent to such places as Siberia and Manchuria to work on in dustrial projects instead of be ing included in the prisoner exchange. Full Lease Wire No. 123 First Planeload . Of III Prisoners Arrives at Travis Sick To Be Rushed Home for Treatment Travis AFB. Calif. aim ; Seventeen sick Americans freed from Communist prison camps returned home from Korea to day on the first freedom flight since the armistice. A C-54 Military Air Transnort Service hospital plane bearing 14 seriously ill tuberculosis cases and three mental patients touched Travis Air Force Base 50 miles northeast of San Fran cisco at 5:41 a.m. (PST). The mental patients, describ ed by the. army as "quite rest less." had - restraining belts around their stretchers and their arms were strapped to their sides. Interviews Prohibited The ex-prisoners had begun their 6,000-mile flight in Tokyo Monday night, stopping at Mid way island to refuel and at Honolulu for a 19-hour rest. Their illnesses were consider ed so serious that military authorities decided to rush them home by air for immediate treatment. Col. ' William Dewitt, com mander of Travis hospital, an nounced interviews with the ex prisoners would be forbidden "solely on medical grounds." "Fourteen of these patients are suffering from an infectious and contagious disease, tubercu losis. The other three are pa tients with a mental condition," Dewitt said in making his an nouncement. Harsh Treatment He explained that all the men were "very ilF of ailments con tracted during months of impris onment in Communist camps under harsh and trying condi tions. . Maj. Tom Barbour, Travis public information officer, said it "was possible" some of the patients might leave on a flight tonight" wlthr stops- scheduled at Denver, St. Louis, and San An tonio. Panmunjom, Korea U.R) Only eight former inmates of notorious camp No. 5 remained in Communist captivity today as the Reds freed 100 more Ameri cans. A returning prisoner said the eight men in nearby Kaesong are awaiting repatriation and probably would be among the 75 Americans scheduled to be freed tomorrow. It was learned today the Com munists are holding many Amer ican Air Force officers in a secret compound. Number Not Known Cpl. William H. Abbott Jr. of Jerusalem, O., said Air Force pilots shot down behind enemy lines were taken to the unlisted camp. The young Ohioan said he did not know how many men were being held, but his statements backed up Allied charges that the Communists were withhold ing prisoners. Secretary of the Army Rob ert Stevens, who interviewed the former prisoners at nearby Free dom Village, said the U.S. gov ernment would "do everything conceivable" to get back The missing men after the Reds have returned the prisoners they pro mised to repatriate. Sewer Work Causes One-Way Traffic Traffic on Sixth st. west of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks was partially blocked to day by a sewer project One-way traffic was moving on that sec tion of the street. City officials said the work involves movement of a sewer line which would be in the way of construction of the new First National bank . building. The work, being done by W. H. Con rad, is being paid for by the bank. It is expected to be com pleted by the first of next week. Nine Persons Fighter Plane Ville Jacques Cartier, Que. (U.R) Twin investigations were ordered today in the fiery crash of a new jet fighter plane that killed nine persons, including five children, when it roared through four houses in this St. Lawrence river village. Citisens Ask Protection - Jittery citizens appealed mean while for "some sort of protec tion" from the screaming air craft skirting nearby St. Hubert base of the Royal Canadian Air Force. A twin jet CF-100. Canada's newest fighter, roared earth Releasee! from M f ... Bar Prison Gamp Cpl. Henry Frank Williams, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Williams, 48 Mace rd., Medford, was among the prisoners of war released at Freedom Village in Korea yesterday, according to United Press. He had been a prisoner in a North Korean prison camp for almost 2 years and 3 months, after being captured on May 17, 1951. His mother said this mor ning "that it just doesn't seem possible that its really true. We have no words to express our feelings, but thank God for his release . . . we just knew he had to come home." She expressed her thanks to all her "thoughful friends," and said that she and her family were praying for the release of the other Rogue valley POW, Sgt. Harvey L. Rogers, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Rog ers, 1491 Thomas rd., Medford. Rogers was captured on April 23, 1951, and the last letter his parents received was written on April 29 of this year. Mrs. Williams reported she was first notified of her son's release by UP at about 11:15 o'clock last night. A telegram from the Army this morning said that Williams would be returned home "as soon as possible." Along with the joyful news, the mother said that her son had evi dently been promoted from a private to a corporal just prior to his capture. They had not heard of the promotion before. Williams is single and was born on Nov. 19, 1928 in Kla math Falls. He attended schools in that city and went up to the sophomore year in high school but did not graduate. He moved to Medford with his family in 1948. Leonard E. Steege Reported Missing In Korean Action Leonard E. Steege, 20, son of Mrs. A. H. Webster, 401 East 12th St., has been reported miss ing in action in Korea, accord ing to a department of defense release. He is a Marine corps pri vate first class. According to the last letter written by him to a friend in Medford, Steege said he was go ing out on a listening post that evening, July 18. On July 19' he was reported missing, his step father said today. Enlisted in 1950 The young man attended Med ford senior high school and en listed in the corps in 1950 in his senior year. He received his training at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Calif., and left for Korea this spring. He had been in the Far East about three months at the time he was re ported missing. In high school he was active in athletics, particularly boxing, his stepfather explained. He has a . brother, Stanley Steege, who recently returned from Korea after three years there. He now is hospitalized in Portland veterans administration hospital because of severe head injuries and a leg fracture suf fered April 25 in an automobile accident north of Central Point, Webster said. Mrs. Webster now is in Portland visiting her son. East German Farmers Told To Deliver Crops Berlin (U.R) The Soviet zone-government in an effort to alleviate food shortages ordered reluctant farmers today to de liver their crops to the govern ment or face jail as enemies of the state. The deputy agriculture min ister, Hermann Streit, admitted farmers were hoarding their crops in hopes of a rise in prices or abolition of the forced de livery quota system. Hoarding would be disastrous to the East Germans already suf fering from food shortages that have caused them to flock to West Berlin to pick up almost 2,500,000 "Eisenhower food par cels." Killed When Crashes Into ward at 300 miles an hour last night and slammed into the row of houses while 10 feet above the ground. ExDlosions set the plane and the houses ablaze instantly. Pilot Navigator Die Flames roared through the tangle of timber and steel, trap ping the five children and the mother and grandmother of two of them. The fighter's pilot and navigator also died. Air Force authorities appoint ed a board of officers to make an immediate investigation. Pre liminary reports indicated the CF-100 s engines bad failed CPL. HENRY WILLIAMS Released from POW Camp Before being drafted in ths fall of 1950, he worked at the Ross Lumber company planing mill at Camn White. He r. ceived his basic training at Lamp Folk, La., and was horn only seven davs before leavin for Korea, in March. 1951. He was with Company "E" with the 23rd Infantry division when captured two months later. He was first reported missing in action on June 29, 1951, and the parents first heard he was a POW when thev recoivMl letter from him in November of the same year. This was the first notification of his capture and after the government confirmed me nandwriting, he was an nounced - a POW officially est December 19. Durinc his detention ha atavad first at Camp 3 and later at Camn 1 in North Korea, armni. ing to the four letters and Christ mas card his parents received during his internment. The son's last letter was written on Feb. 10, 1953 and received by his parents in May. . Heard From Friends Encouraging information was received when the first sick and wounded prisoners were releas ed and a friend of Williams', Glen Moreland, was contacted by Mrs. Williams. He reported through his mother from an At lanta, Ga., hospital that Wil liams was "doing okay" In April 1953, although he had been sick with a head injury and had lost some weight. Besides his parents, Williams relatives include a brother. An. thur, 26, at home and working at Koss Lumber company, who was a Navr veteran of World War II; and a sister. Louise, who is married and lives near Port land at Eagle Creek. The father is also employed at the same lumber firm. Mrs. Williams said that th lumber firm owner haa stated that a iob would be waiting for the young former POW as soon as he comes home. Search Continues For Jail Escapee Floyd Earl Denno, 23. of Sun Valley, Calif, was still at large today. The coast-wide search for Denno, last of the three men to escape Jackson county's jail Sun- day night, is continuing accord ing to the sheriff's office. Two of the trio have already been apprehended. One, Army Pvt. Arnold Fay Grisham, 19, of Box 524, Jacksonville, was arrested on Forest creek near Ruch Monday night, and the other. Marine George M. Ed wards, 20, of Box 73, Butte Falls, was arrested early Tues day morning in Los Angeles. Both were in jail on AWOL charges. Sheriff Howard Gault con versed by telephone with Los Angeles authorities today con cerning Denno's possible con nection with Edwards, but LA police reported that Edwards claims that he and Denno split up earlier, Gault said. The two crawled through the small win dow opening in the jail's "bull pen" at the same time, while Grisham left about a half hour later. Canadian Jet Four Houses shortly after it left St. Hubert base on a routine flight. Munici pal authorities also ordered an investigation. Dead Identified The dead were in two of the houses. Mrs. Emilien Founder, 57, her daughter, Mrs. Marcel Bourassa, 30, and the latter's six year-old son, Michel, and two-year-old daughter, Jeanette, died in one house. Pierre Lavoie, 6, his sister, Collette, 4, and brother, Normand, 2 months, died in another. Four other persons were burn sd and hospitalized. i
