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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1953)
' " 11 ' . : i i i i i U. So rvn T UilVJ . - 1 ' ' , Demonstration Against American Food Packages Second Phase of -Distribution Starts Berlin (U.R) Riot police were ceiled out in West Berlin today to break up a demonstra tion by 300 invading Commun ists against the distribution of American "Eisenhower" food packages. Picked Cdmmunist agitators led a mob from East Berlin into the French sector. Three strong riot squads of West Berlin police were rushed to the spot. With them went one of the new police water cannon used to break up riots. Second Phase Opens Today was the opening day of the second phase of the distribu tion of the "Eisenhower" food packages. The Communists in their first move against the highly embar rassing distribution put Berlin "off limits" to all East Germans seeking to reach the city Sale of railway tickets to points within 50 miles of the city was banned. Soviet troops were posted on roads leading to the city, taken as the United States and These strict measures were West German governments op ened the second phase of a free food distribution program in the American, British and French sectors of Berlin, 110 miles be hind the Iron Curtain. Strong Arm Squads The ban on railway travel to Berlin was reported by the West Berlin Railway administration. East Germans who ran the blockade reported that Com munist strong arm squads were beating up East Germans who attempted to collect the prized food packages. In spite of the strict Soviet controls. Western authorities es timated 100,000 East Germans managed to reach West Berlin today. This brought to nearly three million the number of free food parcels distributed since the program began. Electric Shock Fatal To Woman Mrs. Bessie Hodge, 68, of 629 Lozier lane, died at about 6 p.m yesterday, apparently as the re sult of an electric shock receiv ed from an open light socket, ac cording to Sheriff Howard Gault. The accident occurred in the bathroom of Mrs. Hodge's home. County officials said Mrs. Hodge had been in the habit of putting her finger in light sockets to de termine whether a light bulb had burned out or if the power was off. . They indicated that was ap parently ' what happened last night Ms. Hodge was able to walk from the bathroom to a bedroom, where she collapsed and died. Her husband was sit ting in an adjoining room, .lis tening to the radio, when the ac cident occurred. Acting County Coroner Dr. Merle Poland pro nounced her dead- She is survived by her hus band, George Wesley Hodge; three daughters, Millie Hodge, Eagle Creek, Ore.; Anna Dale, Medford, and May Tye, Medford, and a son, Willis Hodge, Med ford. BASEBALL NATIONAL Chicago S 12 0 Brooklyn 7 S 1 Klippstein, Hacker and Gar agiolat Meyer, Labine and Campanella. St. Louis New .York 11 0 3 2 Chambers. Erauzt, Whit and Rice: Koslo, Corwin, Kn nedy and Weitrum. C a 1 derone. Bloodmobilc Hospitals With Needed Blood Yesterday The Red Cross Bloodmobile, here yesterday for Jackson coun ty's regular blood collection pro gram, was "Johnny on the spot" as far as Sacred Heart and Com munity hospitals were con cerned. Both hospitals were out of blood yesterday, and could get none from the Portland regional blood center, where the supply was so low that it could be used only for extreme emergencies. . Laboratory technicians from both hospitals were on the scene during the collection to pick up blood for use this week in Med Medford United 48th Ytar 24 Pages Hope Dimmed That Sentenced POVs ToUe Released Reports Contradict Earlier Statements Panmunjom, Korea (U.R) Newly freed war prisoners dim med hopes today that the Com munists plan to return captives sentenced to long terms in Jail for committing "crimes." They contradicted reports of other men who said the Reds were releasing the prisoners and sending them to nearby Kaesong for repatriation. Cpl. James R. Westerson, 22, Miami, said the Reds removed about 60 or 70 prisoners from camp No. 3 on Armistice day 'They took out three truck loads of men," Westerson said. "It must have been about 60 or 70 men there. They didn't an nounce sentences or anything." Sent to Jail Pfc. Nicholas Aramino of Le Roy, N.Y., first American releas ed today, said that he, too, had seen several men taken' from camp No. 3 on Armistice day. Aramino said they had been Jailed on false charges, and ap parently would not be released. But some of the Americans re turning today told conflicting stories on the fate of prisoners jailed for committing "crimes." Cpl- Charles G. Guidetti, 32, Philadelphia, said Americans sentenced to long prison terms have been processed and now are in nearby Kaesong awaiting repatriation. 400 Are Returned CpL Eugene R. Reilly, 21, New York, said "there are about 45 or 30 of them," in Kaesong. The Communists returned 400 more prisoners, including 150 Americans, today and received their 50,000th returnee from the United Nations. Thus far, the Reds have liberated 9,419 cap tives, including 2,278 of the 3,313 Americans listed for re lease. Coroner Post Asked for Dr. Merkel Petitions advocating the ap pointment of Dr. A. Erin Merkel as coroner were being circulated in Jackson county today. The post is now vacant, fol lowing the resignation earlier this week of Dr. M. P. Vogel. The vacancy will be filled by the county court, which will follow the recommendation of the Jack son County Republican Central committee. The petitions cite the fact that the county's voters last fall elected a physician to the post, and that Dr. Merkel, as county and city health officer, is fa miliar with the problems of the coroner's job. Since he would draw no additional pay or fees, the county could save money by his appointment, the petitions tttate. Dr. Merkel is not seeking the appointment, he said, but has in dicated that he -will be willing to serve, if asked to do so by the court, until the next election. Others mentioned for the post include Dr. Merle Poland, who has been a deputy coroner under Dr. Vogel. Salem (U.R) Gov- Paul Pat terson has appointed George W. Harkenridcr of Hermiston as a member of the Umatilla county Public Welfare Commission to succeed Mrs. Homer L Watts of Athena. Collection Supplies Local ford. It was the first time that blood collected in Medford had ever been taken directly to a Medford hospital for use. The Community technician picked up six pints of A positive, O positive and O negative- The Sacred Heart technician got nine pints of O positive. A positive, A negative, and the rare AB positive. The technician from Commu nity hospital reported this morn ing that the Portland regional center had only eight pints, be ing held for extreme emergen cies, when blood -was requested MEDFORD, OREGON, SSJS"' AIMED AT MATCHING V. S. Air Force's B-36 intercontinental bomber, Soviet Russia's TUG-7S (top) is designed to carry atom and hydrogen bombs to American cities and return. It Is pow ered by piston engines. Type 31 (bottom), enlarged version of XT. 8. B-29's Is another Soviet long-range bomber supposedly based in Arctic near Alaska. . ( International Soundphoto) Ex-Convict Held For Investigation Of 'Abduction' William Frank Cory, 34, of 735 Vx B ave., Roseburg, was be ing held in the Medford city jail today for investigation after be ing arrested at about 7:20 p.m. yesterday by state and city police. Cory, an ex-conxict, was ar rested at a police roadblock at the intersection of Clark st. and Central ave. 'last night after a Shady Cove waitress called state police and told officers a woman at a cafe there stated she was be ing kidnapped. The woman, Mrs- Andia Jones, 34, wife of a Roseburg attorney, was with Cory in his car at the time of his arrest. Didn't Sign Statement Mrs. Jones returned to Rose burg last night. She left without signing a statement prepared for her by state and city officers. - The statement, composed of information given investigating officers by Mrs. Jones, alleged that Cory ' found Mrs. Jones alone in her husband's office in Roseburg and forced her to leave .with him by threatening her with a pistol. The statement contains- fur ther details of what Ms. Jones claimed was an abduction, and indicated that Cory drove south on Highway 99 to Canyonville, and across the Canyonville-Til- ler road to Shady Cove, where they stopped to eat at the Shack cafe. When Cory went to the washroom, Mrs. Jones told the waitress to call state police, who in turn notified Medford city police. - Said Shot Fired The statement asserts that Cory fired a shot in the car while threatening Mrs- Cory. A nine-shot .22 caliber pistol was found in the car, police said, and a bullet hole was noted in the upholstery. Roseburg sources said that' no charge had been filed against Cory there at about 9:30 a.m. to day. If none Is filed, Medford po lice are considering charging him with illegal possession of a firearm. " France Relaxes Soviet Restrictions ' Paris U.R) France has re laxed restrictions on the move ment of Soviet Russian diplo mats and journalists in this country, it was announced today, and well informed sources said the United States and Great Britain are expected to take similar action. Monday from the Portland cen ter, but it was only half enough to meet local needs, he said. A total of 264 donors was pro cessed during yesterday's collec tion program. The unit collected 238 pints of blood, and there were 26 rejects. Blood collection program of ficials today expressed their ap preciation for the fine response of donors during the last two days before arrival of the Blood- mobile. The collection fell short, however, of what had been hoped for. - THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, St Ex-FBI Agent Mere For Investigation Of Medford Police Former FBI Agent Howard L Bobbitt, Portland, started his investigation of the Medford police department this ' morn ing. The city council yesterday voted unanimously to retain Bobbitt for this job, and ap proved an emergency expendi ture of not more than $1,000 for the purpose. Bobbitt estimated that the job might take a week, and his fee is $100 per day plus expenses. ' Mayor Diamond Flynn told tHe s investigator the council wants a report on allegations of improper handling of bail money, brutality on the part of police officers, and friction with i the department. The mayor said he' feels the investigator's findings should be treated confidentially for the time being, and the council agreed, although Councilman Stanley Jones Jr. stated that any department member accus- 16-Year-0ld Admits Theft, Burglaries A 18-year-old Trail boy was scheduled to be turned over to county juvenile authorities to day after admitting a theft, a burglary, two other illegal en tries and an attempt to break open a safe, according to city po lice. The youth admitted breaking into Jennings Tire shop, 229 North Riverside ave., early Aug. 23, and attempting to break into a safe with a cutting torch, of ficers said. He also admitted theft of more than $21 from a soft drink dis pensing machine at a Shady Cove service station, theft of $4 or $5 at Chain Saw Sales and Service, 1321 North River side ave., and illegal enteries at two local machine shops, they stated. , ' The youth is being question ed concerning other rectn bur glaries. He has a previous juv enile record and is on probation from McLaren school for boys. Wood burn. ITS HERE! A strange wail has Just been heard coming from the Tokum cabin. It must be the baby! Despite the fact that all kinds of noises are heard In Dog patch, there's something about a baby's first cry that even Lil Abner can recognise. Our corresnonent hasn't been able to get a glimpse of the youngster yet. Maybe youH have better luck peek ing through the window. And is Lil Abner exdtedl Man, he can hardly wall for his supper! Get all the details en the flash Tribune Ontfrd Pwmm FuU Um VIM 1953 No. 136 ?B1S' -i J -v-' I ' J$$$&r. ;-s; f" vV" ed of specific wrongdoing should be given an opportunity to "face his accuser." Bobbitt, in describing to the council what he believes will be his approach to the problem, said he will collect whatever information is readily available regarding the present depart ment situation; will study the survey of the department pre pared by Sgt. William P. Beall in 1951, and compare its recom mendations to present opera tions to see if they have been followed; will study the depart ment and its operation and ques tion individual members, and then follow up whatever leads develop. He plans to make a prelim inary report to the council at a special meeting probably next Monday noon. 'Wheat from Chaff Mayor Flynn, who character ized Bobbin's job as "separat ing the wheat from the chaff" in the dispute regarding the department, appealed for the cooperation of the city's resi dents, the press and the council men to aid Bobbitt in bringing in a complete, fair and unbiased report to be presented to the council. Bobbitt will " work closely with City Superintendent Rob ert A. Duff and City Attorney Frank Farrell, the mayor said, and will be provided with pri vate office space and the assis tance of Mrs. Dorothy Snedden, the mayor's secretary. Bobbitt, who drove to Med ford, was delayed en route and the council meeting was delayed until his arrival at about 1:15 p.m. yesterday. He will return to Portland over the week end, and will resume his work Mon day morning. . Demand lor the investigation arose in July, following the death of a Camp White member after he spent the week end in jail without medical attention, though suffering from a frac tured skull. Gr,and Jury Investigation A subsequent investigation by the county grand jury disclosed other questions regarding the department, including the charge that the department was "grossly negligent in the man ner in which they handled the Camp White member, Lester Hurley; that the negligence "is the inevitable result of poor or ganization, complete absence of routine police procedurei, and lack of officers training . . Most of the defects in the de partment pointed out in the 1951 report still exist, the grand jury stated, and "existing city and police administrative personnel cannot or will not take the steps necessary to the adoption of the Beall recommendations." The jury recommended the replacement of the present po licechief, placing the depart ment under a civil service merit system, the hiring of a trained officer from outside the city for chief, and the reorganization and modernization of the de partment ' Authorization for the investi gation was voted by the council last week, ' ' " 1 Weather rosiCAlT: Caitrakl clroSiacM throng PrlSay with wMcly Kmttre ihawan is outala area. Shawtra Sataraajr. Law taaifht St. SUfh Frlaay TS. Taa. IfkMt Yaatereay SS Law-act tali Maralai SS Frae. to 4:SS jb. Ta4ay JS Rubber Workers Strike at Eight Firestone Plants Renewed Violence In Telephone Strike By UNITED PRESS CIO rubber workers walked out at Firestone plants in eight cities today as new violence, and threats of violence, broke out in strikes against the Bell Tele phone System. - ' Meanwhile, negotiators work ed to settle a dispute between communications workers and the American Telephone & Tele graph Co., with union assurance there will be no unauthorized strike by the nation's long dis tance telephone operators. Some 25,000 rubber workers threw up picket lines at mid night at Firestone plants in an attempt to force acceptance of their undisclosed wage and bene fit demands. Violence In Midwest The walkout hit the big Akron, O., Firestone plant and factories at Fall River, Mass., Pottstown, Pa., Des Moines, la., Los Angeles, Noblesville and Newcastle, Ind., and Memphis. Hijinks as well as violence cropped up in the CIO Communi cations Workers of America strike agsftnst Indiana Bell Tele phone Co. Three Men Arrested Three men were arrested at Michigan City, Ind., after about 200 angry demonstrators, some of them believed to be CIO Auto Workers, swarmed around the exchange there, breaking win dows and throwing firecrackers. At least 50 local and state police restored order. Moisture league Studies Rain making Officials of the Moisture Con servation League, Inc., reported today that they are contacting weather control companies with a view toward inauguration of a "rain-making" program in the Rogue valley. Attorneys for the league are contacting North American Wea ther Consultants, Denver, who have handled cloud seeding ex periments for California Oregon Power company; Water Re sources Development Corp., Alta dena, Calif., and Weather Con trol Inc., Medford. They are asking the firms to have representatives speak to league members, telling them what can be done to produce rain for the valley during certain times of the year. The league em phasizes that any rain-making program would take into consid eration the fact that some crops could be damaged by rain at cer tain times of the year. The league, largely composed of "dry-land" farmers, decided at a meeting last night to seek the information. Sanity Test Planned For Killer of Girl Somerville, Mass. (U.R) An attorney said today he would seek a sanity test for Mildred McDonald, 25-year-old stenogra pher who said she went "plain crazy" and killed her former boy friend'e younger sister. The attorney, Dwight L. Alli son, of Belmont, Mass., who was retained by Miss McDonald's family to defend her against a murder charge, indicated he was considering the possibility of an insanity plea. Miss McDonald confessed In New York yesterday that she fatally shot 14-y ear-old Mary di Rocco to death in the di Rocco home here Monday and tried to burn the body. Airport Hangar, Old Control Tower, Down The old control tower and hangar building at the Medford municipal airport have been de molished, City Superintendent Robert Duff reported today. The work is being done by David Chase, Phoenix. His con tract with the city calls for de molition to be completed by Sept. 1, and removal of all lum ber and other material by Oct. 1, .When the work is compelted, the area formerly occupied by the hangar and control tower will be payed by the city and used as a part of the airport taxi way, s , Passenger Planes Collide in Air; Tragedy Averted Safe Landings Made Despite Gaping Holes Chicago (UJ9 A major dis aster was narrowly averted when two loaded Convair airliners collided in flight near here and then limped to safe . landings with ragged holes torn in their light metal bodies. A difference of only two or three feet in the location of the holes would have spelled death for some, or all of the 5? pas engers and crew aboard the two planes, experts said. The accident occurred last night at a height of about 11,000 feet when a UnitM Air Lines plane and an American Air lines ship clipped into each other over Michigan City, Ind., about 60 miles of here. Passengers Pray Some of the passengers prayed as the wind whistled into the de pressurized cabins and one young wife fingered a rosary, but witnesses said most of the passengers were "pretty calm." The United Air Lines plane. with 27 passengers aboard, made a forced landing at South Bend, Ind. j A six-by-four foot hole was ripped in the top of the plane, it's co-pilot's window was shat tered and the radio was out of commission. The American Airlines plane turned back to Chicago and land ed safely with its 24 passengers despite a three-foot hole in the undersection of the fuselage, 15 feet from the tail section. The plane's control cables were missed by only a small of both airlines said that had there been a difference of about two feet the propellors of one plane probably would have chewed off the tail of the ether. The two-engine planes were both flying east, roughly parallel but the exact circumstances of the collision had not been de termined. The United plane's radio was knocked out and no one at South Bend knew the pilot, Capt Lewis Brubaker, was landing. His plane bad been bound non stop from Chicago to Cleveland. The American Airlines craft was beaded for Detroit Southern Oregon Milk Zone Ordered The Oregon Milk Marketing Administration has ordered Jackson and Josephine coun ties, and Douglas county east of the coast range, included in a new milk production and mar keting zone, it was announced today. The order, which creates Zone 4, becomes effective Sept. 1. "... In the judgment of the board the establishment of . . . production area is necessary for the stabilization of production of fluid milk in said area and is in the public interest," the board's order said. Conditions regarding produc tion conditions, costs and prob lems are similar throughout the area, the board said. It also stated that one zone would "fa cilitate administration of the milk marketing act in the hold ing of fewer hearings to deter mine costs of production and distribution of fluid milk." The order has no present ef fect upon milk prices. The order followed a public hearing on the proposal con ducted in Grants Pass last July 14. Eisenhower Sends Message Of Encouragement To Shah Denver U.R) The White House today announced Presi dent Eisenhower has sent a mes sage of encouragement to the Shah of Iran in a cable certain to be interpreted as holding promise of American assistance. Sincere Felicitations "In the spirit of the friend liness which has always been the basis for the relations of our two countries," the President cabled the Shah, "I offer you my sincere felicitations on the occasion of your happy return to your country ..." The President also extended his "continuing good wishes for every success in your effort to promote the prosperity of your people and to preserve the inde pendence of Iran." The messag was dispatched All Major Points v Receive Approval From Committee India Invitation Vote Falls Short United Nations, N. Y. JJ9 The United Nations today won down tha line victory in the United Nations as the General Assembly's Political Committee approved all major points of its plan for the Korean Political Conference. Although the committee re turned a 27 to 21 vote in favor of inviting India to the conference an invitation adamantly op posed by. the United States ' the vote was far short of the two-third majority necessary for approval In the General As sembly. The two-thirds margin in the Assembly will be calculated on the basis of total "yes" and "no" votes. Abstenslons will not count- The Assembly will meet to morrow to ratify the decision of the 60-nation committee. Dramatic Votes Taken In a series of dramatic votes, the VS. Victory developed this way in the committee. A resolution providing that any country which fought for the U. N. in Korea could be invited to the conference if it desires was approved 41 to 7 with 10 abstentions. The Soviet bloc. joined by Guatemala and Yugo slavia, voted against the meas ure, which 15 Western nations sponsored, and Argentina and Mexico joined most of the Asian African bloc In abstaining. A Soviet attempt to substitute its own conference membership slate for that proposed by the 15 powers was defeated, 41 to S with IS abstentions. The Soviet bloc gave the only support, and Argentina and Mexico again joined most of the Asian-African bloc in abstaining. A Soviet move to delete from an invitation to the Kremlin a condition,! "provided the other side desires it," was defeated 38 to 15 with 8 abstentions. Support for the Soviet effort to remove the condition, which has the ef fect of labelling the Russians aggressors with the Communist Chinese and North Koreans, came from the Asian-African bioe and Yugoslavia. The invitation, with the proviso intact, subsequently was ap proved, 55 to 2 with 2 abstentions-Invitation to India The committee split sharply on the invitation to India, but foredoomed its approval in the Assembly. The vote was a victory for the United States, which had split with Britain and the Com monwealth countries on an invi tation to India. U. S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. con tended that the Korean con-, ference should be confined to active belligerents in the waf and opposed India on grounds that it had not sent troops. Culinary Workers Picketing Hotel Pickets were placed around the Medford hotel today by the Culinary Alliance and Bartend ers union. Local 329. Union officials said the pickets were placed at the hotel "be cause they have refused to sign a contract, and have refused to pay an increase in wages from 75 cents to 84 cents an hour." They added that the Medford hotel is the only such establish ment in Medford which la not paying union scale. Medford hotel officials de clined to comment on the strike today. Santa Monica, Calif. (U.R) Singer Helen Forrest, former vocal partner of Dick Haymes, has received an interlocutory divorce decree from actor Paul E. Holahan. tn IT S. Ambassador Rov Hender son in Iran several days ago for relay to the Shah. The White House last night received word from Henderson that the mes sage had been delivered. Reporters covering the sum mer White House here asked the President's .staff whether the. message means the United States would meet the Shah's request for immediate financial assist ance. Silent on Loan Request Press Secretary James C. Hag erty said the White House at present had nothing to say about matters involving aid or assist ance in any form. The President's decision to send a message to the Shah ob viously evolved after discus sions with Secretary of Stat John Foster Dulles. ; 1-
