Wit'.', - . .
t i ' Tihuii in 7 '
r rx&
COHVALLIS BOUND Girls pictured above
were selected by local 4-H club members to
receive scholarships for attendance at the an
nual 4-H summer school at Oregon State col
Six Childr lie k Cave-in
: ! :
- o -
Angry Officials
Push Investigation
To Place Blame
New York (U.Ri Authorities
angrily pressed a full investiga
tion today of an excavation cave-
In that snuffed out the lives of
six children and critically in
jured a seventh.
Wrathful, muttering crowds of
parents clung until the early
morning hours around the
Brooklyn construction site where
the damp, loose earth tragically
ended a game of cowboys and In
dians. District attorney's office inves
tigators questioned construction
company employees most of the
night and District Attorney Ed
ward Silvers said "If there was
negligence, this was criminal
negligence, not ordinary negli
gence." Silver said one of the
prime things he wanted to know
was why there was no watch
man guarding the site, being
prepared for a new auto ex
pressway. Whr Was Hr
"If they had a watchman,
where was he?" Silver said. "If
they didn't have one, why not?"
Firemen and policemen work
ed for nearly six hours Tuesday
night, vainly trying to revive
the six pathetic bodies, search
ing for more possible victims and
trying to comfort the hysterical
mothers of known victims or
missing children.
Many rescue workers frantic
ally dug into the tons of dirt
with their bare hands when there'
were no tools available. It was
almost midnight when Deputy
Fire Chief Edward M. McGarry,
In charge of the operation, an
nounced that the dirt had been
cleared away.
"There are no more bodies
down there," he said. "We want
ed to make sure." -Eiitvr
and Brother
The six dead children were
identified as Ann Ortiz, 8; Lor
raine Stanikunas, 5; Michael
Stanikunas. 10, Lorraine's broth
er; John Kotav, 7; Louis Nitti.
6, and John McKenzie, 9.
The injured child, Anatole By-
kov. 9, was taken to a hospital
suffering shock and a broken
arm. Two other children nar
rowly escaped the cascading
earth. One of them was Mary
Stanikunas, sister of two of the
victims.
Police said the children ap
parently waited until workmen
left the construction site for the
day and then began their game
of cowboys and Indians at the
base of a 25-foot cliff of dirt.
The youngsters decided to dig
a cave in the site of the dirt
wall and had dug several feet
into the soft earth when there
was a soft muffled rumbling
followed by the cavein.
Salem (UR) The State
Board of Control has approved
calling for bids on a new dormi
tory at the Oregon State School
for the Deaf.
Federal Tax Evasion Case
Continues in Court Here
Federal court recessed at noon
today in the Post Office build
ing here with the defense com
pleting cross examination of the
third witness in the govern
ment's case against Noble C.
Standley, James Adamek and
Wilbur Merchen of Standley
Brothers LoEging company in.
Powers. They are charged with
tax evasion.
United States Attorney C. E.
Luckey, of Portland, . yesterday
introduced witnesses against
Standley, Adamek and Merchen,
who are charged with evading
$300,000 in government taxes
during the years 1949-51.
AnoUxf member of th eom-
zr?
lege. The school will last 10 days and feature
classes devoted to agriculture, home econom
ics and leadership. They will return to Med
ford June 22.
MF' .(DTRIBUNE
I on.- Mum Uuited Press
51st Year
D'Auti ont Case
Record Is Ordered
Corrected by Judge
Hugh D'Autremont's chances
for release from the penitentiary
received a setback yesterday
with filing of an order signed by
Circuit Judge H. K. Hanna.
The order corrects an omission
from the court record when
Hugh, Roy and Ray D'Autre-
mont were sentenced to life im
prisonment in 1927.
The D'Autremonts were con
victed of the widely-publicized
Southern Pacific train holdup
and murder of four trainmen and
railway postal clerk in the
Siskiyou tunnel south of Ash
land, on October 11. 1923. They
were sentenced on June 23, 1927,
after a three-year search for the
suspects, and a protracted and
sensational trial, one of the last
criminal procedures held in the
old Jackson county courthouse
in Jacksonville, now a museum.
Omitted Information
The order, issued on a motion
by District Attorney Walter D.
Nunley, is legally termed an
order "nunc pro tunc." trans
lated from Latin as "now for
then." Its purpose is to supply
previously omitted information
in the record. The entry is de
clared effective from the date of
the sentencing.
Nunley sa4d the order con
cerns an agreement on June C3,
1927, between the three D'Autre
monts, Tennyson Jefferson, then
postal inspector assiened to the
case, and Charles Riddiford, an
other postal inspector.
He explained it was agreed at
that time that Jefferson and Rid
diford would recommend to the
court that Ray and Roy be per
mitted to enter pleas of guilty
to second degree murder on one
of the outstanding murder in
dictments and be sentenced to
life in the state penitentiary.
thus avoiding exposure to a pos
sible death penalty on a trial of
the outstanding murder indict
ments. Convicted of Murder :
Hugh had previously been con
victed of first degree murder,
but had not then been sen
tenced. It was explained to the three
that under ordinary circum
stances, a person sentenced to
life imprisonment in Oregon
would be eligible for release
consideration after about 1h
vears. The D'Autremonts agreed.
Nunley explained, that they
would spend the rest of their
natural lives in the penitentiary
and that the remaining outstand
ing indictments against them
pany, Nell J. Hollenbeck, book
keeper, pleaded guilty to tax
evasion charges in Portland and
was sentenced to 18 months to.
an institution directed by the
attorney general.
Attorneys for the defense are
George Mead and William
Daugherty of Portland and Paul
Geddes of Roseburg. The defense
is expected to introduce its wit
nesses some time tomorrow.
The case is expected to end
Friday but may continue longer,
according to U.S. Government
officials.
Federal District Judge Gus
Solomon i presiding.
TO!
:DFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1956
would not be prosecuted. The in
dictments would, however, be
kept qending to assure that each
of the three men would spend
the rest of his life in the peni
tentiary and thus not be eligible
for parole consideration.
After the guilty pleas were
entered, the agreement was pre
sented to the Jackson county cir
cuit court and approved by
Judge C. M. Thomas upon the
oral motion of Newton Chaney,
then district - attorney. The
court's action, however, was not
reflected in the record.
Since then, Nunley said, Roy
D'Autremont became criminally
insane and is now in the Oregon
state mental hospital, and Ray
D'Autremont has not been re
garded by officials as socially
suitable for release. Hugh, who
created and edited the prison
newspaper, "Shadows," has been
considered by parole officers to
be rehabilitated.'
Three Attempts
The district attorney explained
that Hugh has made three at
tempts to gam his freedom m
recent years. On each occasion
the district attorney's office has
been visited by protesting rela
tives of the murder victims,
Southern Pacific Railway offi
cials and postal Authorities, Nun
ley said. ,
Hugh's most recent effort for
release was based on the statute
of failure to prosecute and the
statute of denial of the right to
a speedy trial.
The current court action, Nun
ley stated, shows that the D'Au
tremont brothers have waived
further prosecution and the right
to a speedy trial.
Nunley said before the court
could issue the order it was nec
essary to obtain an affidavit from
Jefferson. The affidavit had to
show Jefferson was present at
the sentencing of the D'Autre
monts and that the court action
at that time was based on the
agreement, though the agree
ment was not recorded.
The district attorney said he
obtained the Massachusetts ad
dress of tr aging and now re
tired Jefferson from William
Warner, retired Medford post
master. He wrote to Jefferson,
asking for the affidavit, on
March 13 of this year. Jefferson,
he learned later, was on a va
cation tour of the country when
the letter left Medford. Nunley's
letter was finally delivered to
Jefferson in Enid. Okla. Jeffer
son then wired the district at
torney that he was en route
home and would send the affi
davit upon his arrival.
When Nunley received Jeffer
son's paper, he noted it was
written in the third person
rather than first person and was
therefore unusuable. The district
attorney immediately drew up
a new affidavit containing the
same information and mailed it
to Jefferson for his signature.
The signed affidavit, dated
April 30, was finally received
here and Nunley's motion was
entered in circuit court on May
3.
On that date, the motion for
correction of the record was
served upon Edward C. Kelly,
Medford attorney who has been
representing Hugh D'Autremont.
Nunley. said no appearance was
made or objection filed. Judge
Hanna sipneH tho nrripr ax nf
J.Junc i.
Ymv lrmit
'-7 4 -T.' fok: I
uvkmmhhmhh W w wwl iii nli mm&mSm r n ''tmUMrittf $WS
LOADING UP Glenn Klein (center) and a
group of Jackson county 4-H club members
pack suitcases and sleeping bags Into the
chartered Greyhound bus Tuesday morning
"Maybe We'd Better Give This Another Think"
Four White Sailors Beaten
By Negroes in Interracial
Fight at Pearl
Pearl Harbor, T.H. U.R)
Four white crewmen of a de
stroyer stationed at Pearl Har
bor were badly beaten Tuesday
night in a fight with four Ne
groes dressed in civilian clothes,
the Navy disclosed.
The fight took place about
10:30 p.m. HST near the offi
cer's swimming pool.
The fight was discovered by
passengers on a bus who alighted
to go to the aid of the sailors.
The" Navy said the Negroes
fled into the nearby bushes.
Navy police ordered a dragnet.
It was the second such inter
racial fight at this big naval base
in less than a week. Still under
investigation was a race riot Fri
day between a score of Negroes
and Whites, most of them South
erners, that resulted in tne latai
stabbing of a white sailor.
The sailors who were the vic
tims of Tuesday night's assault
were from the destroyer Erwin.
They told naval base police
that the Negroes "jumped"
Security Guard Posted
On Ship at Portland
Portland (U.PJ -A security
guard was posted at the gang
plank of the- British freighter
Fernhurst today because she ar
rived here direct from the Rus
sian port of Vladivostok.
Coast Guard regulations re
quire posting of guards on boats
docking from' Russian ports. The
Fernhurst was due to take on a
cargo of grain for South Korea.
Baseball
AMERICAN ,
Detroit -. . 2 J 1
Baltimore 0-70
Foylack, Gromek (8). and
House; Low. Zuvcrnik (7) and
Triandos. Smith (1). Home
run: Maxwell, Detroit.
Kansas City 13 21 0
Washington 4 10 0
Ditmar, Harrington (8), and
Thompson; Ramos, Stona (2),
Grob (8), Clavanger (9), and
Berberat. Home runn Lopes,
ZarnlaL Kansas Cirj.
for the trip to the annual 4-H summer school
at Oregon State college in Corvallis. Klein,
. one of the local 4-H club agents, is in Corval
lis with the 25 boys and 25 girls today. v
Full leued Win
Price 5c
No. 72
Harbor Base
them. The Navy said two of the
sailors had lacerations and
another apparently suffered
broken nose.
A witness said he saw blood
all over the white uniforms of
the sailors.
A Navy spokesman said the
incident was not a riot.
Bounty on Porcupine
Noses Offered Here
Persons bringing in porcupine
noses to either the Jackson
county court, the Medford Cor
poration or the Elk Lumber
company will be awarded 51
effective July 1, the Jackson
county court announced today
County Judge Rodney Keat
ing said noses brought in should
be tied on a string and salted
The Elk Lumber company and
the Medford Corporation are
operating independently of the
county court, Keating said, ana
the $1 bounty will be paid only
once. -
According to County Com
missioner Chester Wendt, in
some areas porcupines are de
stroying ud to as much as 50
per cent of the timber.
Late News Briefs
LIBEL SUIT DISMISSED
Washington U.PJ Federal
Judge F. Dickinson Letts has
dismissed a $250,000 libel suit
brought against columnist Drew
Pearson by Lew Wallace, prom
inent Oregon Democratic politi
cian. ,
LOAN BILL APPROVED
. Washington ;U.P. The House
approved a compromise bill to
day to set un a S100.000.000 gov
ernment loan program for small
water projects in western states,
INVESTIGATIONS DUE
Washington-(U.FB Chairman
John L. McClellan announced to
day that tys special Senate Lob
bying Committee will investi
gate eight national organiza
tions, including the Committee
for Pipeline Companies and the
United Auto Workers.
Ike Will Confer
With Adenauer
In Hospital Room
Washington (U.R) Presi
dent Eisenhower decided today
that he is feeling well enough
to confer in his hospital room
Thursday with visiting German
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. '
The President, continuing his
"satisfactory" recovery from an
emergency operation, got a mor
ale boost this morning when his
doctors removed an "uncomfort
able" drainage tube from his
nose for two brief periods.
All in all, the President spent
30 minutes out of his bed; per
formed' his usual walking exer
cise, conferred for half an hour
with his staff and signed eight
routine bills. One provided mon
ey for his own $100,000 salary
and other-White House expen
ses. Condition Satisfactory
A medical bulletin at 9:15 a.m.
(PST) said the President's con
dition continues "satisfactory."
It said he still is being fed
through his veins but that the
irksome drainage tube running
through his stomach "is now be
ing periodically removed."
White House Press Secretary
James C. Hagerty announced
that the President personally de
cided on tile hospital conference
with Adenauer.
Adenauer will be the first vis
itor the President has had out
side of his family and White
House staff aides since his em
ergency operation last Saturday.
Hagerty said Mr. Eisenhower
will receive the 80-year-old Ger
man leader for a "courtesy visit"
Thursday -at 10 a.m. (EDT) at
Walter Reed Army hospital.
Adenauer will be accompanied
by Secretary of State John
Foster Dulles.
In Good Spirits
Hagerty said he did not know
what would be discussed at the
meeting or how long it might
last. He said the President's doc
tors said it was "perfectly all
right" for him to conduct such
a conference at this stage of his
recovery. !
Mr. Eisenhower's physicians
had reported earlier today that
he spent a "fairly comfortable
night" and was in "good spirits
this morning."
The President underwent sur
gery early Saturday to bypass
an obstruction in his small in
testine. The surgery was pro
nounced successful and his con
dition has been reported as "ex
cellent." Announcement of the Aden
auer visit coincided with a step-ped-up
presidential work sched
ule this morning.
700 Visit Hawthorne
Pool Here Tuesday
Attendance at the Hawthorne
pool Monday was 623 and Tues
day was 700, according to Dar
ell Huson, city treasurer.
Registration for swimming les
sons starting next Monday, is
now under way at Hawthorne
pool. Registration ' will continue
throughout the week.
Minimum-age for the lessons
is eight, Huson said. Charge will
be $2 for 10 lessons. A second
series of lessons will be held in
. July.
Last British Sentry Leaves
End 155 Years of Military
Port Said, Egypt KU.R) Brit
ain withdrew its last sentry
from the Suez Canal Zone to
day, ending 155 years of mili
tary operations in the land of
the pharaohs. . .
No Drum Beat
The last Union Jack fluttered
down over a deserted garrison
at sundown Tuesday without
bugle or drum beat to pace its
descent. It was the end of an
era which began in March, 1801,
when the British drove Napo
leon's soldiers out of Egypt.
Just before dawn today the fi-
oal picket lint of th British
Crews Patch
Severe Crack
In River Dike
Portland U.R) A severe
crack appeared last night in a
water-logged dike which pro
tects Portland Meadows race
track from floodwaters but
workmen hoped they had it
plugged.
Some 2000 yards of gravel fill
were dumped by Army engi
nees, ' county employees and
civil defense workers along the
base of the dike. Thirty tracks
and bulldozers worked from 6
pi- yesterday until 6 a.m. to
day. New Trouble Spot
Workers also were rushed to a
new trouble spot atop the levee
today when a 10-foot section of
the dike top sank about five
feet. A bulldozer was put into
service to fill in the pit which
developed in the dike opposite
the horse stables at Portland
Meadows. The source of the trou
ble was a muddy boil which
erupted Sunday. Soon after the
hole was filled and packed by
the weight of the heavy earth
moving machine the boil dried
up.
The dike, which has been un
der close scrutiny since Sunday
alter the boil' developed, was
one of the few remaining trou
ble spots as the Columbia river
continued to fall.
The river at Vancouver this
morning was down another .2 of
a foot to 25.3 feet, 18 inches un
der last Tuesday's crest. The
Willamette at Portland dropped
to an even 25 feet. River Fore
caster Elmer Fisher said the Co
lumbia would continue to fall.
Threat Still Remains
Army engineers said that the
threat of a break in downstream
Open Hospital Bids;
Board Eyes Offers
The board of directors of
Rogue Valley Memorial hospi
tal took under consideration yes
terday five bids submitted for
(he general construction contract
for the proposed $1,900,000 hos
pital to be built at the corner
of Barnett and Murphy rds.
Board members said a deci
sion on letting the contract will
be made soon. All five bids were
higher than original estimates.
A. V. Peterson company, Port
land, submitted the low bid of
$2,040,040. Other bids were
submitted by Donald Drake com
pany, Portland, $2,077,000; W.
H. Shields company, Eugene, $2
ivu.hhy: smith-Pliillips com
pany, Portland, $2,222,638: and
J. H. Wise and son, Boise, Idaho,
$2,225,000.
Structural steel bids were
awarded earlier this spring, and
delivery and erection is expected
to start in September.
I
Trailways to Start
Crater Lake Service
Trailways Bus Lines has
scheduled one trip a day to
Crater Lake National park ef
fective June 15.
The bus will leave Medford at
7:20 a.m. and arrive at Crater
Lake lodge at 9:30 a.m. for about
a 30 minute stop over. Destina
tion of the bus is Bend. It will
stop at intermediary points be
tween Medford and Crater Lake
Persons spending the day at
Crater Lake can return on a bus
from Bend at 4 p.m. and arrive
back in Medford at 6 p.m.
Weather
FORECAST: Considerable
cloudinets tonicht and Thnrft
div with a chance of scat
tered light showers over
moan tains Thursday after
noon. Low tonight 50, high
tomorrow 75.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 82
Lowest this Mornlnc 47
Our Skies Tonight
Sunrise 4:34 n.T
Sunset . . ,, , , 7:50 p.t
Moon set 11:24 p.r
First Quarter June 1
PROMINENT STARS
The Twins, set 9:5 p.
VISIBLE PLANETS
Venus, set S:l .i
Jupiter, north of the Moon.
Saturn. In the tooth 10:25 p.r
Man, rises 1235 a.r
garrison went, aboard a British
LST (landing ship tank) to join
the rest of the garrison for
transport to Cyprus, now the
last British stronghold in the
eastern Mediterranean.
Commander Leaves Forerar
Brig. John Lacey, the com
mander of the Port Said garri
son, signed over occupation of
Navy House headquarters to
Egyptian officials Tuesday night
and then drove aboard the LST
in a staff car. He returned brief
ly to shore today for a final
ceremony. He left Suez forever
at 6:13 ajn. (8:13 p.m. PST).
dikes still remained but thatt
lower tides, , the dropping river
and the drying effect of sun
shine on the dikes was helping
the situation.
The weather bureau's five-day
river forecast issued at 10:45
a.m. called for a drop in the
Columbia to 23.2 feet by next
Monday. The Willamette at
Portland is expected to be 22.9
feet on the same day.
Advance N6 Convoy
Leaves for Summer
Camp at Ft. Lewis
Advanced detachments from
the National Guard's HQ and
HQ company, and Company A.
both of the 1st battalion, 186th
infantry in Medford, left this
morning in an 11-vehicle convoy
for Ft Lewis, Wash.
Included in the convoy were
16 Medford guardsmen. The
Medford convoy will join a
Grants Pass detachment and
convoy to Ft. Lewis as one unit.
They will set up summer train
ing camp facilities before other
Guardsmen arrive Saturday aft
ernoon. To Leave Saturday
Medford National Guardsmen
will leave by train at 12:01 a.m.
Saturday. Friday evening forma
tions will be held at the armory
about 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. for final
instructions and to pack foot
lockers. The Guardsmen will be
dismissed about 8 p.m. and will
return to prepare to board the
train at 11 p.m.
The encampment will last two
weeks. The Medford units will
be stationed in the northeast
sections of Ft. Lewis, and will
arrive back in Medford Satur
day, June 30, at about 12:30 p.m.
Bulletin
Washington 0J.R) Tha
United States and West Ger
many challenged Russia today
to agrae to German reunifica
tion if the Soviets really ara
sincere about wanting to gat
along with in frea world.
Scouts Reported in
Better Condition
Tom Turpin, 14, who suffered
a concussion and back injuries
when he fell Sunday from a
cliff in the Illinois river area
while on a Boy Scout hike to
Agness, is reported by his at
tending physician as In much
better condition today. He re
gained consciousness. this morn
ing. Bruce Blachly, 14, who suf
fered ankle fractures and arm
injuries in the same accident, is
also reported to be improved in
general condition.
Both boys are at Community
hospital. They are sons of Mr.
and Mrs. V. A. Turpin, 3533
Jacksonville highway, and Mrs.
Ben Blachly, 1121 Spring at.
With 35 other members of
Medford Boy Scout Troop 9,
they left Saturday to hike down
the Illinois river to Agnesg and
continue down the Rogue river
by boat. The rest of the group
continued the trip and arrived
Tuesday at Agness, where they
will camp for several dayi be
fore continuing by boat.
Dutch Queen Declared .
Influenced by Healer
London (U.R) Reports cir
culated throughout Europe to
day that Queen Julianna of the
Netherlands and her husband.
Prince Bernhard, were divided
over the influence of a woman
faith healer on the Queen.
The London Daily Express, in
a dispatch from its Amsterdam
staff correspondent, said today
that "an elderly woman faith
healer has won influence over
the deeply religious Queen Jul
iana, causing concern to the
churches and to the Dutch Cab
inet." Suez To
Operations
'This is an unhappy occasion
for us," Lacey said a he stood
on the deck of the ship and
gazed at the empty flagstaff at
Navy House. "But we agreed to
withdraw and our job is done."
No Bitterness in Voice
There was no bitterness in his
tone. His voice was tired.
Britain retains the right to re
turn to defend the Canal Zone
against alien aggression. And
British civilians will man the
canal facilities. But all remnants
of military occupation ended
when the last sentry went
aboard.