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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 1957)
Criminologist Doubts Accuracy Of Sheppard Murder Confession Berkeley. Calif. M Dr. Paul Kirk, key defense consult ant in the Dr. Samuel Sheppard murder case, today dismissed a newly confessed "suspect" In the murder of Marilyn Sheppard ss a "poor possibility." Kirk said, however, that the fact that the "confessor," Flori da convict Donald Wedler, 23, is a left-handed man "is interesting DONALD WEDLEH Mrs. Shsppard's Killer French Premier Calls for Vote Paris Wi Premier Maurice Bourges - Maunoury asked the National Assembly early today for a vote of confidence on his demand for special police pow ers to combat the Algerian re bellion. The vote is set for Friday. It Is regarded as crucial since it concerns the issue of civil rights. At issue is the government's controversial bill for extending to metropolitan ace the same special police powers it now has for fighting the rebellion in Al geria. The Assembly early this morn ing voted, 362 to 173, to renew the special search and arrest powers granted the former gov ernment of Guy Mollet as far as Algeria Itself is concerned. The government had asked for special powers of search and ar rest without warrant, the right of unlimited detention and en forced residence of suspected and convicted terrorists, and of round the clock house searches. Both right wing and left wing groups attacked the bill on the grounds that it would destroy civil liberties in France. The Communists charged it would - give Bourges-Maunoury police state powers. Bessonetie Submits Low Bid for KF Job Klamath Falls Bessonette Construction company, 613 East Jackson st., Medford, was ap parent low bidder for a sewer project in Klamath Falls, accord ing to the office of E. A. Thomas, city engineer. Bessonette submitted a low combined bid of $423,420 for the four unit job. Engineer's esti mie was S342.000. Three units have been award ed to the firm with the fourth held for study. The project in volves about 33,i miles of trunk and interceptor sewer, including a tunnel under the railroad yards leading to the site of a proposed sewage plant. Bids for the plant are to be invited in about a month. because I have known all along that the murderer was left-handed." Nam Not Mentioned Wedler has never actually mentioned the name of Shep pard, but has confessed only to bludgeoning a housewife to death about the same time Mar ilyn Sheppard was murdered in her bedroom July 4, 1954. Kirk, a criminologist at the University of California, flatly believes Dr. Sheppard, who is now serving a life sentence for the crime, is innocent. "I have no doubt that Shep pard is innocent," he said. Kirk based his theory that the murderer was left-handed on the position of blood stains on the wall. The blows would have had to be struck by a eft-handed man, he sam. Sheppard was right-handed, he added. Oregonians Given Asia Flu Warning Portland W The State Board of Health warned today that the new strain of influenza which has recently swept through Asia and Europe will "probably" appear in Oregon within the next few weeks. Cases of the new type flu al ready have been reported in California, Ohio, Kentucky and Rhode Island, according to Dr. Harold M. Erickson, state health officer. Reports reaching Oregon indi cated the Oriental flu is fairly mild but highly contagious, Dr. Erickson said. Deaths In other countries have been limited chiefly to Infants or elderly per sons, although it is also con sidered dangerous for people greatly weakened by some other Illness. Dr. Erickson said that Influ enza is normally most prevalent In the United States from late fall through early spring. Ameri can health experts have express ed hope the Asiatic traln will follow this pattern, which would allow scientists time to develop an effective vaccine for. use in combatting any major epidemic. Not so Rare But he believes that Wedler is hardly worth considering as a suspect. "There are a lot of left-hand ed men in the country," he said. "They're not so rare." Kirks' skepticism jibed with that of Ohio and Florida author ities who were inclined to cfoubt Wedler's story. Kirk said that one of his strongest reasons against believ ing Wedler's statement was that in nis opinion the crime was committed by a man who was familiar with the layout of the Sheppard home and "probably acquainted with the family." "It was no casual intruder, he said. Wedler said In his statement Wednesday he picked a resi dence at random in order to rob it. Sex Attack Dr. Kirk also said that the crime "had all the earmarks of a sex attack." "I said so at the time and I itill think so. Whoever went in didn't go in to rob." Wedler told police that he struck the woman with a piece of pipe. Kirk said, however, it might have been a flashlight. Kirk was also skeptical about the description of the intruder as a "bushy-haired" man. "What is a bushy-haired man anyway? A person with a crew cut? A mat of unruly hair, that's bushy, too." Kirk said there are many per sons who "imagine they have done things, who get delusions of having committed major crimes." Wedler is the 25th person to "confess" to the crime. Construction Plans For 1300-Mile Gas Line Announced The possibility of natural gas being piped to southern Oregon was seen this week with the an nouncement of c o n s t r uction plans for a 1.300-mile pipeline from Canada to San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle, in its July 13 issue, printed a map showing the route of the proposed pipeline, which indi cated it would pass through the Klamath Falls area. It is believed that if this route is used, the cost of a pipeline from Medford to Klamath Falls would not be prohibitive, con sidering the potentialities for natural gas sales in this area. According to the announce ment, made by Pacific Gas and Electric company, the S330 mil lion pipeline may be in opera tion by 1960, carrying some 400 million cubic feet per day. Pacific Gas and Electric said it has already contracted with a newly organized Canadian sub sidiary for delivery of 400 mil lion cubic feet of gas in 1960. Northern California now con sumes about 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day. Two-thirds of this comes from Texas and New Mexico fields, and the bal ance from California wells. The Canadian pipeline would be financed by public offefing of securities "in substantial amounts" both in Canada and the United States, the Chronicle stated. The pipeline is expected to require approximately 550,; 000 tons of steel. The starting point in Alberta was not disclosed. The pipe would terminate at PG&E's gas control station at Antioch, Calif. Thunder. July 1. H57 MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE ELEVEN Airline Passengers Describe Panic as Plane Dodges Light El Paso, Tex. Wl A pass enger on an American Airlines DC6 told today how panic broke loose briefly when the plane de scended sharply from a 14,000- foot altitude hurling all 80 per sons aboard from their seats. Jesse Bibbs, supervisor of the Fresno, Calif., County Hospital, said from his hospital bed that he helped to calm the frightened passengers who were wandering in the plane's aisle and gave first aid to an injured woman. Capt. Ed Bachmer, a pilot with American for 15 years, said he veered right when he saw a green light ahead, presuming it was the left-wing running light of another aircraft. The accident occurred on a New York to Los Angeles flight. Bibbs and Mrs. Mena Katz of Los Angeles suffered neck dis locations and eight others were It Could Be Him; Speeder Fined $25 Visafia, Calif. (IP) Justice Noel McDermott simply follow' ed the script when insurance agent Henry Schmidt, 45, Studio City, Calif., appeared in answer to a speeding citation. Schmidt admitted he was the winner of two National Safety Council awards in the state of Washington for originating a traffic program titled "Could This Be You?" McDermott said it could be and Schmidt paid a $25 fine. Use Mail Tribun Want Ada treated for minor injuries. The plane made an unscheduled stop at El Paso' so that Bibbs and Mrs. Katz could be hospitalized. Thrown Twice None of us had our safety belts buckled." Bibbs said. "We were all thrown from our seats At the end of the dive, the plane turned again and threw me back in my seat. "The passengers had been pretty well shaken up by the incident and everyone kind of panicked and was wandering around in the aisle," Bibbs said. "I thank God we had a good pilot and we are still alive," Mrs. Katz said. Bibbs said he was hurled from his seat when the plane veered and tossed back when the plane descended. Chang In Course Bachner said he was forced to make the sharp change in course to avoid hitting what he thought was the other plane about 2 a.m. (P.S.T.) between checkpoints of the Salt Flat and Waco towers. After getting the plane back on course, Bachner went back into the cabin to see whether any passengers were injured. When he noted the condition of Bibbs and Mrs.. Katz he decided to land at El Paso. X-rays showed no fractures had been sustained by Bibbs and Mrs. Katz. The other 78 passengers got back on the plane and continued to Los Angeles. In addition five crewmen were aboard. Portland Firm Plans Plant at Milwaukie Portland W Mail-Well Envelope Company of Portland today announced plans to build a new $500,000 plant and office structure at the Kellogg Indust rial park near Milwaukie, Ore. Mail-Well will be the first occupant of the new industrial site that was a former war hous ing area. The park is being de veloped by Hoffman Construc tion company. Soil Nutrients for Douglas Firs Seen Tacoma (If) Weyerhauser Timber Co. announced today it would be possible to boost the productivity of forestland by up to 10 per cent by applications of soil nutrients to Douglas fir trees. Douglas fir seed cone produc tion has been increased six times by such applications at an ex perimental area near Yacoit, the firm said. Garth Diedrich -aV' "For the deal of the year see my 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door V8. It has very low mileage but I can still give you a terrific discount." This Chev has Powerglide, radio, heater, safety power steering, back-up lamps, washers and many other deluxe extras. ' ' ' r 1. Will take trade and arrange financing. See and Drive This Unit at Courtesy Chevrolet or Call Me At SP 2-6 115 Readers Digest Ad Agency Quits .New York (IP) The advertis ing agency of Batten. Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc., has given up the account of the Reader s Digest, which it nas held for 18 years, because of "an obvious conflict of interest" be tween it and another client, the American Tobacco Company. The magazine published last month an article which question ed the effectiveness of filter tip cigarettes with an analysis show ing how much tar and nicotine was present in the smoke of various brands of cigarettes. Charles H. Brower, executive vice president and general man ager of BBD&O emphatically de nied a report that the tobacco company had ordered the agency to choose between It and the magazine. American Tobacco was estimated to have $22 mil lion annuaP advertising budget as compared to about a $1,250, 000 budget for the magazine. Adm. Byrd Successor Named by President WahinEtnn (TP! . PrKiHpnt Eisenhower has named retired Rear Adm. George Dufek, a vet eran Pnlar pvnlnrpp in rcnl a rf the late Adm. Richard E. Byrd as supervisor of tne American South Polar programs. Dufek, a veteran explorer of both the Arctic and Antarctic, has commanded operations of the Navy's Antarctic task forces for the past three years. The work was done in preparation for the present International Geophysical Year. Rossellini Weak With Influenza New Delhi TO Italian film producer Roberto Rossellini was still bed-ridden and "very weak" today with influenza. Rossellini, husband of Ingrid Bergman and romantically link ed with a beautiful Indian script writer, tqjd United Press today: "I am running a temperature and am very weak. I am ill and at the present I am allowing no visitors." Close associates said it will be "some time" before he can leave New Delhi. He was re ported scheduled to go to Bom bay where Mrs. Sonali Daj Gupta, the script writer, is liv ing at the moment. 4 Close-out SALE - on - APPLIANCES Save to 50 0 NOW AT . . . 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