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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 7, 1955)
C7T Weather Medfo Tribune FORECAST: Fair thronch Fri day. Low tonight 48. High Friday IS. Temp. :rf. CeDDbllks United Press Full Leased Wire United Praia Full Leased Wise Highest Yesterday Lowest this Morning . 73 .. 44 50th Year 26 Pages ,4 V ORD, OREGON THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1955 Price 5c No. 92 ra rafted 'More Than One' Corpse Expected To Be Discovered Weapons Taken From Kitchen Missing Wallas Walla, Wash. OJ.PJ -Eight unarmed guards entered cell block 6 today to begin a block-by-block shakedown at riot-torn Washington State pris on. , The eight were among 12 guards who volunteered for the job at the request of Warden Lawrence Delmore Jr. They were to "secure" each of the six cellblocks in the prison one at a time, reporting back to Del more after each one was search ed. ' - The plan called for herding the prisoners into the yard one block at a time. After all the inmates were in the yard, they were to be searched. Hints Slaying ' The inmate population was 1784 before the riot began Tues day morning. Veteran guards, however, expressed doubt there would be that many alive when the final roll was taken today. "There are too many stoolpig eons in this place," said one guard who declined to give his name. "I wouldn't be a bit sur prised if we find more than one corpse." Before the eight volunteers en tered the prison - this morning there were no penitentiary em ployees inside the walls. How ever, the prisoners ' behaved themselves. On the walls were 38 state patrolmen and prison guards armed with rifles. Stat Guard on Wall , - "My orders are for the state patrol to protect the security of the walls," explained State Pa trol Lt. Charles' Hall. "It is up . to the prison authorities to take care of the situation inside." Only six of the 30 day shift guards volunteered to go into the prison. The other six were from other shifts. Delmore selected eight of the 12 and explained terms of thenine-point agree ment which ended the 26-hour riot and resulted in the release of nine hostages. "The main reasons we made them (the terms) so quickly was because time was running out and we weren't going to stand too much on formality," Delmore said. "Nevertheless, we didn't sell out." Earlier, a spokesman for the guards said only a few of the knives and razors carried by rioting prisoners were turned in when they filed back to their cells. "Not one-third of the weapons taken in the kitchen are being surrendered," he said. "We are not going back in there (the cell blocks) when we know dozens of knives may be cached in the cells." He said the convict-written "treaty" signed by prison offic ials "made more concessions to the prisoners than it did for us." Guards were willing to help the National Guard or State Pa trol make a systematic search for hidden weapons, the spokes man said, "but we want all pris oners out in the yard when the inspection is made." There was speculation that if the meeting did not produce re sults satisfactory to the guards, the National Guard arid State Patrol would be called in by Gov. Arthur B. Langlie would have to issue such an order, however. Delmore said he wasn't look ing for any trouble in "running this place." "Well take precautions (to protect the guards) naturally," he said. The riot, touched off by a hard core of 35 miximum security prisoners, flared up at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday and spread until in mates controlled all the prison except the well-guarded walls. Santiago, Chile (U.R) Armed military troops in tanks rumbled into Santiago and oth er key points today to guard against violence that may be ignited by Chile's biggest labor protest in history. , . Baseball ' NATIONAL Brooklyn Pittsburgh . 4 11 3 10 1 Howell: Klein. Lot and Friend (8) and AtwelL . Philadelphi 5 13 2 New York 8 10 3 . Dickson, Meyer (6), Miller 1 (6), Negray (8) and Lopata: Gomez. Wilhelm (3). McCall (6), Grissom (7) and Hofman, Westnun (7). Milwaukee 3 8 0 Chicago 2 5 0 Buhl and CrandaUj Jones ad McGaUMSa. yu m mm. m mm 11 f a o iuuuk ,, nnni 4 Tit RIOTER, PRISON CHIEF HUDDLE An unidentified leader Reenter) of rioting Washington State prisoners at Walla Walla, Wash., presents prisoner demands to Thomas Harris, left, state prison chief. The prisoners captured seven guards, held them hostage. ''Mi- RIOT VICTIM B. W. Fain, assistant recreational director at Washington State penitan tiary, Walla Walla, shows blood stained shirt as after math of not. Murder Trial Set To Begin Monday The trial of Bernice Hampton (Tex) White, 37, of 228 Hartley rd., is scheduled to start Mon day at 9:30 a.m., in circuit court, District Attorney Walter Nunley said this morning. - ; White is charged with first degree murder in the death of Eugene Raymond Birk, 32, Phoe nix. Birk died in an Ashland hospital March 5. The indict ment charges White fatally in jured Birk by striking him over the head with a two-by-four piece of lumber on March 4. ' The trial has been held up pending rulings on various de fense motions, and by the fact that White was hospitalized fol lowing an emergency appendec tomy shortly after he was jailed Defense Attorney Robert Dun can has indicated White will plead innocent by reason of tem porary; insanity. Demos See Approval of Social Security Plan Washington (U.PJ Democrats today, predicted House approval of their plan to hike Social Se curity taxes by 25 per cent on both workers and employers to finance expanded benefits. The proposal, which would take effect Jan. 1, won approval last night of the House Ways and Means Committee. But sup porters conceded that in the rush for adjournment the Senate may delay consideration of the meas ure until next year, thus upset ting the proposed effective date.' Fulbright Sees Approval Of Foreign Aid Measure Washington U.R) Sen. i. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) said today he expects ""little or no opposition" to quick Senate ap proval of the compromise $3, 285,800,000. foreign aid bill. The compromise measure, worked out yesterday by House Senate conferees, authorizes an other year of economic, military and technical assistance to bol ster free nations against the sprtad of Commimism. "" ","- : ' s tl Thornton Warns oh Plan To Introduce New Coin Machines Salem (U.R) A new elec tronic "slotless slot machine" is about to be introduced by state wide gambling interests in Ore gon, Attorney General Robert Y. Thornton said today. Such a slot machine requires no coin be inserted, but would be operated by 'an electronic im pulse, actuating a relay which would permit the tavern owner, upon payment of a certain sum, iUi?. c.?ntrt lbs wplskBtoy' I hv remote control. Violation of Laws Thornton said such machines are just as illegal as the coin-in-the-slot machines, and operation of them would be in violation of both the state's gambling laws and the constitutional prohibi tion against lotteries. Thornton said word had come to him that the gamblers hoped to circumvent the law by use of the new machines. However,' he has forewarded a memorandum to all district attorneys in Ore gon. He said: "The slot machines proposed for use in this state do not vary in principal but only in their method of operation from the conventional coin-in-the-slot ma chines." Medford Wins Award For Pedestrian Safety The city of Medford has won an annual Oregon State Motor association award for pedestrian safety in 1954, it was announced today by Sidney" King, Oregon director of safety for the AAA affiliated organization. The plaque will be presented to Mayor Earl Miller by Herb Gray, a member of the board of directors for the, OSMA, at a council meeting to be held July 19. There were no pedestrians fatalities in Medford in 1954.. Police Chief Charles Cham plin said the department is "quite proud' of the award, but expressed regret over the fact that two Medford pedestrians have been killed already this year. ', ' '- ' Domiciliary Reports Record in Enrollment . Camp. White An all .time high in the enrollment of domi ciliary members was reached during June, it was announced today by E. K. Ricker, manager of the Veterans Administration center here. The monthly average was 838, with the top figure reached on June 28, with 863 names on the admission book. West Germany To Permit Mail Censor, Wire Taps Bonn, Germany (U.R) The West German government said Wednesday night it will continue to allow the three foreign occu pation , powers to censor mail and place wiretaps on telephones in the federal republic. Interior Minister Gerhard Schroeder said the government took this atti tude "in the interests of Allied forces security and in view of the present international situa tion.4 r.,.,;v-. v. Catholics Urged To Accept Peron Plea for Harmony Members Requested To Intensify Prayers Buenos Aires OJ.R) Santia go Luis Cardinal Copello, pri mate of the Roman Catholic Church in Argentina, urged all Catholics today to heed, Presi dent Juan D. Peron's plea for peace and harmony. Archbishop ordered that a pastoral be read at all Masses in all Roman Catholic churches Sunday signifying" support of Peron's plea. He urged members of the church to intensify their prayers and sacrifices in accord ance with church tradition dur ing times of trial. By ordering the pastoral, the Catholic leader, in effect, called for an end to strained relations between the church and the state. This church-state friction has resulted in much violence and arrests since it flared into the open last fall. Refers To Radio Plea The plea to which the arch bishop referred was made by Pe ron in a nationwide radio broad cast Tuesday. The President did not mention the church - state controversy in his address. In calling for a political truce, he confined his , remarks to his "enemies." " v " Copello declared that "peace and harmony among our citizens is our greatest aspiration. . "But these noble longings for union ' and peace can only be realized if the causes which have created discontent and have divided our citizens are eliminated from among us." . The archbishop reiterated in structions issued Dec. 1, 1954,' which stated "the faithful should not participate in acts purporting to be of a religious nature if they have not been previously approved by church authorities." Latest Conciliation (Move This move by , the Catholics was the latest in the trend to wards " churcfi-state' "conciliation since the bloody but short-lived revolt of the air force and navy June. 16. The government signified in tentions of easing the tension when it informed the Vatican this week that two expelled pre lates would be permitted to re turn to Buenos Aires. Their ex pulsion marked the high point of Peron's battle with the Ro man Catholic Church and re sulted in the excommunication of the president and all others connected with the incident. lS Accepts Russian Plane Incident Offer Washington (U.R) The United States today accepted Russia's offer to pay half the damages for the Navy patrol 'plane shot down by Soviet fighters off Alaska June 23. The offer had been made ver bally at San Francisco two weeks ago by Soviet Foreign Minister V. M. Molotov in direct talks with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. This government accepted in a note delivered in Moscow to day. - In the note, the United States again insisted that the Navy plane at no time invaded Soviet Air territory and that it acted throughout "in a correct and blameless manner." In accepting Russia's offer, the United States said it was taking into account Soviet ex pressions of regret and the fact that Russia issued orders to its military,; authorities to refrain from any future action "bf this character." Berkeley, Calif. (U.R) Sci entists mourned today the death of Wendell M. Latimer, profes sor of chemistry at University of California and famed atomic researcher who Succumbed to a heart attack yesterday. He was 61. Construction $3,960,000 Air Force Base Klamath Falls Nearly $3, 000,000 worth of construction contracts have been let for Air Force base here, it was reported this week. i The Klamath Falls Herald and News said almost $1,000,000 in contracts are still to be awarded before completion of the project, expected by the first of the year. Three big contracts have been let to Morrison-Knudsen com pany, and work is under way. They include $944,000 to reha bilitate the airport runway and lihtia; llfl,000 for tba in- 'i 21 Number of Jobless In County in June 40 Under 1954 Employment Level Said Generally High The number of jobless persons in Jackson county at the end of June was 40 per cent below the figure for the same date last year, according to the Medford office of the state employment service. The decrease in the number bf unemployed was partly due to lack of fruit work at that time last year, because of frost dam age to fruit crops, the service's monthly bulletin said. But it added that the total is 26 per cent below that for May 31 of this year. The figures reflect "the gen erally high level of employment in the county at the present time," the report said. Unem ployment claims, as a result, have dropped steadily and are well below a year ago. The number of jobless was es timated at 700, including 250 women. " Hiring in the lumber industry in the near future will probably be only normal turnover replace ment because most firms are now using full crews, the report added. Pear thinning will con tinue for about four more weeks. The pear harvest is expected to be relatively late this year, with picking starting near the end of August, and a high demand for pickers was forecast. The office reported a large number of job seekers coming in to the area during June. While some were seeking seasonal work many were interested in perma nent employment, and. most of them were from California. Presbyterian Site Reported Approved Location of a new Presbyter ian church at the . corner of Groveland ave. and Oakwood dr. has been proposed by the plan ning and strategy committee of the Oregon Council of Churches, iwas learned here today. A group of Medford Presby terians is considering establish ing a second church of that de nomination at the site, but it was-protested by Congregational and Baptist representatives who maintained the new church would be too close to existing churches. The committee, which met yes terday, was reportedly closely divided on the question. The report said the decision was based on the theory that a new church could be located any where in an area where there are already many members. About 500 Persons Due at OFL Conclave About 500 persons are expect ed to be in Medford July 24 through 28 to attend the annual state convention of the Oregon Federation of Labor, according to J. Vernon Marshall, business agent of the musicians' local un ion who is general chairman of convention arrangements. Headquarters will be in the Medford hotel. Registrations will open there Sunday morning, July 24. A dance is planned for Mon day evening, July 25, at the Pioneer room in the Jackson hotel, and a banquet is sched uled for later in the week at St. Mary's gymnasium. Progress at Klamath Falls stallation of jet fuel storage tanks, and $478,741 for airmen's dormitories. The Donald Drake company has received contracts of $414, 000 and $628,521 for readiness crew building, cold storage and recreation facilities, an - alert hangar, rocket storage and am munition storage. A $265,113 contract for a mess hall and fire station went to Wat son Construction, company, and one for $68,564 was let to Pin ninger and Watkins company to rehabilitate - bachelor officers' quarters. nl May i HuU$ Compulsory Reserve Obligation for Vets Draws Russel's Ire Washington (U.R) Sen.j Richard B. Itussell sharply ques tioned today the "propriety or the equity" of the administra tion's plan to impose a compul sory reserve obligation on vet erans. ... Russell, chairman of the Sen ate Armed Services Committee, thus took issue with one of the main props of the administra tion's military reserve program. The Georgia Democrat raised his challenge to the administra tion's plan as the committee New Traffic Light System Will Begin Operations Today The six new traffic signals set up on state highways through Medford recently will be in oper ation by evening, according to Vernon Thorpe, city public works director. ' Work began on the intercon necting signal system at 11:30 a.m. by three state highway de partment' engineers, two tele phone . engineers, engineers of the city traffic department, and contractors from Trowbridge & Flynn. The lights are situated at the Manzanita and Riverside, Ed wards and Riverside, Court and Manzanita, Eighth and Central and Ninth , and Riverside inter sections, and where Court, Ed wards - and .Central," cpme .to gether. Speed Zones Same "The progressive speed zones will remain the same' on River side and Central aves." Thorpe said. North of Edwards st. the speed limit wilK be 35 mph, and South of Edwards to Twelfth st., it will be 25 mph, except in the business district. The state high way department will post addi tional signs in the near future, Thorpe added. Thorpe pointed out that the signals at Manzanita on both Riverside and Court ave., are more for speed , control than for intersection control. The lights will be on an in terconnecting system, maintain ing a progressive speed. If for any reason one light should go out, when put back into oper ation it will still be synchron ized " with the other lights, Thorpe said. , ' Dulles Says Russian Economy Collapsing Washington (U.R) Secre tary of State John Foster Dulles has told Congress that Russian economy is "on the point of col lapsing." In - secret testimony before , a House Appropriations subcom mittee on June 10 Dulles said the Russians "are overexpanded, unable to meet their commit ments." ; r - Dulles also said ' there is a "defacto cease" fire in the For mosa area" achieved without making any concessions to Red China. In the testimony made public today, Dulles explained, however that the situation in Formosa was not stable and that the Chin ese Communists were continuing their military build-up. Dulles appeared before the subcommittee to support Presi dent Eisenhower's foreign aid program.. is Rej . Thirteen more, smaller con tracts are still to be let. The' overall cost is estimated at some $3,960,000. The airport will be used jointly by the city and the Air Force. Many of the World War U Navy buildings will be used by the Air Force. Some 900 military personnel and 100 ci vilians are expected to use the base, A fighter-interceptor squad ron, equipped with F-89 all weather aircraft will be based there. The annual payroll is esti mated at aoma $3,000,000. i opened-hearings in an attempt to push some reserve plan through the Senate before congressional adjournment. . Three Days of Hearings The committee scheduled only three days of hearings, with the goal of reporting out a reserve bill for Senate action in 10 days. Lead-off witnesses on the first day of hearings were representa tives of educational, scientific, technical and labor groups. The administration is scheduled to present its case for the reserve plan Monday. . Russell's opening statement was an indication that the ad ministration's plan, already ap proved in modified form ty the House, may be in for a substan tial overhauling in the Senate committee. .- ' Under the administration's plan to strengthen the reserves, servicemen would have a com pulsory reserve training obliga tion following active duty. Under the House-approved version, it would be a total of five years of active and reserve duty. To build up a corps of reserv ists without previous active duty, the administration also proposed and the House approved in modified form that up to 250, 000 youths annually be given six months military training fol lowed by IVi years reserve duty. Russell Questions Propriety Russell questioned "the pro priety or the equity of imposing the major part of the reserve responsibility on the shoulders of our prior service men the equity., of forcing these men to participate in reserve training activities in addition to the basic liability for mobilization as signment and recall in time of war." "If the situation facing the nation is so grave that we must force'this added burden on those men who have already served," Russell said, then "we must com pletely reorient our planning." County Officials To Confer on Tree Taxes Members of the Jackson coun ty court and the county board of equalization will meet with state tax commission officials; tomor row in Salem to discuss assess ment of orchard and shade trees. Those taking part in the meet ing from Jackson county will in clude County Judge Rodney Keating and Commissioners Chester Wendt and L. G. Morth land, and Arnold Bohnert and Ralph Cook of the bpard of equalization. Judge Keating also is a member of the board. . Primary topic of discussion at the meeting will be a recent commission order directing the board to assess trees and have them on the tax rolls prior to Aug. 15. - J ;, Kidnaping of Boy Brings Life Sentence Astoria, Ore. (U.R) William E. Kent, 19-year-old AWOL Army private who held Tommy Woodward, 7, of Elsie, captive 37 hours last May, today was sentenced to life imprisonment "as a menace to society." Kent, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of child stealing, was examined by state psychiatrists before sentence was imposed and Clatsop County Circuit Judge Howard . K. Zimmerman said the examination showed Kent to be "a menace to society in his present frame of mind." State Boxcar Shortage Said Not Too Serious Salem (U.R) Oregon's emer gency transportation committee said today that the boxcar short age in the state is not serious enough to warrant asking the Interstate Commerce Commis sion to open the Portland gate way. ': By a vote of 7 to 6 the com mittee appointed by Gov. Paul Patterson to deal with the box car shortage rejected a proposal that the Portland gateway be opened to permit rolling stock from Northern lines to be used on Southern Pacific tracks in Oregon '' Commercial Tug Picks Up Message; Oil Slick Found Foreign Submarine Reported by Radio New York (U.R) A commer cial tug picked up a distress message today saying a fishing vessel was afire and sinking with 21 aboard. Some 10 hour later the Coast Guard Cutter Gentian reported finding an oil slick and a single life preserver in the area. Prior .- to the discovery evi dence strongly indicated that the distress message was a fantastic hoax. The find did not elimin ate this possibility, the Coast Guard said, but the search by Navy and Coast Guard air and sea forces continued in increased intensity. - Vessel Unidentified The Coast Guard has not been able to identify the vessel which gave its name as "Blue star." - The tale of terror at sea was related in a strange radio-phone conversation with the tug over more than an hour. It ended with a report that a foreign sub marine had surfaced beside the foundering boat The "Blue Star" had reoorted earlier that 18 persons were overboard, clinging to wreckage to keep afloat because all the boat's life preservers had been destroyed by fire. No Burn Marks The cutter Gentian radioed that the orange kapok life pre server it found showed "no burn marks." The preserver was found about 50 miles east of Beach Haven, N.J. in the southwest sector of the search pattern set up on the basis of the "Blue Star's" report. . - Grass, Brush Fire On Hill Put Out Central Point A large grass and brush fire on Blackwell hill' and a controlled burning pro ject at the Game Commission management area on Rogue riv er busied Central Point Rural district firemen yesterday , and this morning. Fire Chief Richard Kruno re ported that the fire of some 15 acres on Blackwell hill along old Hifihwav 99. could have nrov- ed more . serious. Three : rural department trucks and one state forest patrol pumper responded. The blaze was reported about 1 p.m. Crews were on the job off and on until 8 .m. The fire orginated apparently from a spot where tin cans and rubbish had been dumped. Three rural firemen with three trucks helped six game men burn fire trails around much of the management area . south of the Military bridge. The work took from 3:30 until about 11 a.m. today. The operation. -was undertaken to protect grass cover considered essential for wildlife in the area. Orchestra Students Set Concert Tonight Students who have partici pated in a summer orchestra session will present a program at 7 p.m. today in the' Medford High school: chorus room. The students have been re hearsing for the past five weeks with John Drysdale as the direc tor. The program is open to the public and no admission will be charged. - , Nude Blonde Roams Streets Seeking Adam Sioux Falls. S.D. (U.R) An attractive blonde in her early 30s, was found wander ing around city streets In the nude early today. She told po lice she was Eve and was searching for Adam.- Police said the woman will be examined by a psychiatrist. ' Traffic during the early morning rush hour was stall ed while she strolled by. Traffic during the early morning rush hour was stall ed while she strolled by. - Besides her quest for Adarn the woman said she was suffer ing from the heat. The temper ature at the . lime was 31. - 1 i! ; i s 4
