Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, November 24, 1957, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., November 24, 1957, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Texto Recommended A feature Horj about starting a Christmas tree farm by Hunt er and Best In the Ruch area appears on page 14 of today's Mail Tribune. 52nd Year Price 10 Subscribers To report Improper or non-deliy-ery of the Mail Tribune in Med ford phone SP 2-6141. Ashland MU 2-1021. Yreka 841W before 6:45 p.m daily and 1020 ajn Sunday If regular delivery arrives short ly after you call please notify of fice thus eliminating special mes senger service. RIBUNE United Pre" Pull Leased Wir United Press Full Leased Wire 70 Pages MEDFORD, O' AY, NOVEMBER 24, 1957 No. 184 Tff IT JLV1LJCJUT rffl 1 O Forest Fire Under Control Tonight Azusa, Calif. HP Some 1,500 firefighters battling a 25,-000-acre fire in Angeles national forest Saturday were aided by "vastly improving" weather con ditions, leading officials to hope for complete control of the blaze tonight. For the first time since it broke out 20 miles northwest of Los Angeles Thursday, aerial tankers were able to drop water bombs on the fire Saturday Helicopters also took to the air for the first time to supervise firefighting operations and carry men into previously inaccessible reas. Saturday evening, fire offi cials reported good progress in controlling the blaze had been made since this afternoon. They said about 70 per cent of the line was controlled or 20 to 22 Break-Up Wearing For Russian Rocket, Scientists Report London (If) Sputnik l's fellow - traveling rocket streak ed closer to the atmosphere of the earth and ablivion Saturday. British scientists said it would disintegrate like a shooting star "in a few days." Scientists at Jodrell Bank Ob servatory picked up the carrier rocket with telescopes Satur day night after failing to spot it during the day. Prof. Alfred C. B. Lovell, di rector of the observatory, said he tracked the rocket and that "latest indications are that it will come down in the near fu tureand that means in a few days." Still Looks Good But, he said, "it still looks good for several days more." " Its disintegration wouldjeave. the two Sputniks still hurtling silently through the heavens, at speeds around 18,000 mph. There was no indication when they would start to fall. Speed and friction have eaught up with the fellow-traveling rocket. Originally, it was trailing the 184-pound Sputnik I after it carried the spherical satellite into space Oct. 4 and became de tached from it. It began to speed up. From a distance of 620 miles behind, it passed the Sputnik and then lapped it several times. As its speed increased, its orbit narrowed. It gradually nosed towards the relatively dense atmopshere of earth whijh forms a protective blan ket, shielding the earth from myriad shooting stars and me teors by means of friction. U.S. Forest Harvest ' To Be Stepped Up Portland (If) In an effort alleviate unemployment in th depressed Oregon lumber industry, harvesting of National forest timber in the Pacific Northwest will be stepped up (Borne 800 million board feet, re gional forester J. Herbert Stone -faid here Saturday. Buyers will be offered 400 million board feet before next July 1st and the other half will be on the market before the end of August, 1958. Sttne said the stepped - up (juries program was made possi ble by recent release of some (75.000 in additional funds to the forest service in the Pacific Northwest, and will bring tim ber sales up to the annual allow (le cut for the first time. Radicals Bequest Peace In Algeria Strasbourg, France Oft The flench Radical party conven tion Saturday handed a rebuff to Premier Felix Gaillard and , boost to former premier Pi jjejre Mendes-France by approv ing :g motion calling for quick peace in Algeria. Mendes-France supported the proposal to call in Tunisia and Morocco to act as mediators in the Algerian dispute. Gaillard opposed it. But. despite a last minute influx of 200 Gaillard supporters to the Radical party convention in Strasbourg, the 38-year-old Premier failed to rally a majority of the more than 2,000 delegates to his side. There were a total of 1,120 votes. An unofficial tally gave the Mendes-France motion 648 votes. A motion supporting Gail lard'g position received 472 votes. Expected miles of the estimated perimeter of 30 to 33 miles. Officials credited aerial "bombing" of the fire with a water-borate solution as respon- sible for much of Saturday's progress toward control. Earlier, violent winds had sent the flames racing so quickly through brush and timber in the San Gabriel mountains that au thorities dared not put firefight ers in its path and aircraft were unable to make flights. One of the worst Santa Ana windstorms in years, with gusts over 75 miles an hour, was sweeping southern California when the flames broke out Thursday after a portable stove was overturned accidentally at a convict road camp. The winds had died down for the most part in the area Saturday. Saturday, U. S. Forest Service officials, who estimated the blaze caused 23 million dollars damage to the valuable water shed, said if "the weather re mains as good as it is and keeps improving as expected, we look for complete control about 6 p.m. Sunday. However, County Fire Chief Keith Klinger said firefighters still were maintaining a "des peration line" paralleling Foot hill blvd. around the city of Monrovia in case the winds should come up again and push the flames out of the Fish can yon area. The fire earlier raced to with in three miles of Monrovia, also posing a threat to other foothill communities such as Azusa, Du- arte. Sierra Madre, East . Pasa dena and Arcadia. Residents in some areas closest to the boiling flames were evacuated but re turned Friday when winds be gan diminishing. ' New Tension Hits Middle-East Arear Fighting London HP The Soviet Union stirred new tension in the Middle East Saturday with charges that the western pow ers were hatching a "new im perialistic plot" with Israel against the Arabs. The Soviet government news paper Izvestia said the "plot" was being planned in secret talks in Tel Aviv and the -west ern capitals. Israel and Jordan continued their war of border nerves Sat urday with Israel charging Jor danian Legionnaires tried to kidnap two Israeli farmers to retaliate for the alleged kidnap ing of a Jordan farmer. Israeli spokesman Saul Ram ati in Tel Aviv said a tractor driver and two armed Arabs ex changed fire in the Jordan val ley and that 90 minutes later another Israeli was attacked near the village of Beisan on the Jordan border. In other Middle East develop ments: Two special emissaries re turned to Amman from Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, where sources said they delivered mes sages from King Hussein to King Saud and Saudi Arabia and President Iskander Mizra of Pakistan, who is visiting Bei rut. Jordanian troops continued to halt Israeli convoys to the Israeli settlement of Mt. Scopus inside Jordan in a dispute over gasoline shipments to the en clave. Four members of the U.S. House of Representatives began a round of talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo Saturday. London Daily Mail corres pondent Rhona Churchil report ed from Copenhagen that Rus sia planned to build intermediate-range rocket stations along the Suez canal. Former Syrian ambassador to the Soviet Union Jamal E. D. Farra said in Helsinki that "only the U.S.S.R. understands the authentic patriotism of the Arabs." WEATHER FORECAST: Fair today, increas ine clouds tonight, mostly rloudv Monday, hich today 5, Ion- tonight iZ. high Monday 53. TEMP. Miction YMtrdy : 7 Lowest this Morning 2S Our Skies Tonight Sunrise 7:13 a.m. . 4:43 p.m. 7:54 p.m. Sunset . Moonset PROMINENT STARS Square of Pegasus, high in the south at moonset, will be in the vest at midnight. VISIBLE PLANETS Venus, south of the Moon. Jupiter, rises 4:09 a.m. Mars, rises 5:52 ajn. Young Beck Found Guilty Of Charges Of Grand Larceny Supreme Court Appeal Planned By Attorney Seattle iff) Dave Beck Jr., son of the teamsters president, Saturday night was judged guilty of pocketing the money from the sale of two teamsters- owned Cadillacs. Th verdict was returned by a jury of nine men and three women. Charles S. Burdell, chief at torney for Beck Jr., said im mediately after the verdict was read that he would appeal to the state supreme court. Grand larcency convictions carry a maximum of 15 years. The jury deliberated 6 hours, 10 minutes after receiving the case at 12:15 p.m. The jury "knocked" at 8:56 p.m. and noti fied the court baliff that it had reached a verdict. Thirty-five minutes later, the verdict was read. The case went to the jurors after Deputy Prosecutor Laur ence Regal, in rebuttal, pointed to Dave Beck Sr., International Teamster president who was in the audience and said: "he's here to defend his so who's commit ted a crime." Earlier, defense attorney Charles Burdell had said Beck Jr. was being tried "because he loves his father." Deputy prosecutor Laurence Regal gave rebuttal after Bur dell finished. Smith contended that the state had proved "beyond a shadow of a doubt" that young Beck had sold two Cadillacs belonging to the Teamsters union and had "placed the proceeds in his pock et." The total amount involved was $4,650. . Smith also repeated the state's contention that Beck Sr. and Teamster bookkeeper Fred Ver- schcueren Jr. "concocted a story to explain away the existence of $6,600, purportedly the proceeds of . the sale of j three Cadillacs, which is in a vault at Teajnster headquarters here." The money supposedly repre sents the proceeds of the two cars Beck Jr. sold and another Cadillac which Beck Sr. is ac cused of selling and keeping the money for himself. The elder Beck faces grand larceny charg es Dec. 2. Robbery Attempted On Medford Girls City police announced Satur day about 11 p.m. that Alfred Fosdal Jr. 18, of route 1, box 398, Medford admitted in an oral statement that he had attempted an armed holdup of two 15-year-old Medford girls on Friday evening. Two 15-year-old Medford girls reported to city police Friday night a young man attempted to rob them on Front st. between 10th and 11th sts. Another attempted robbery was reported to sheriff's depu ties later Friday night by a wo man who said the attempt was made on Sunset dr. near the in tersection of Orchard Home dr. Police said descriptions given by the two girls and the woman were similar. Police said the girls told them they were walking toward down town Medford from the high school, when a young man stop ped his ranch wagon beside them, jumped out and told them not to look around. The girls said the man pressed something against the back of their necks. They described it as being like a large automatic type gun, po lice said. The girls were told to put their hands in back of them, po lice reported, but they were not tied. When a car started ap proaching them, the man asked the girls if they had any money. One of them said no and the other said she had a small amount. Police said the man told the girls to turn and run without taking any money. Chief's Resignation Asked After Beating Klamath Falls (TO A Klam ath county grand jury investigat ing an incident here involving the alleged beating of a man by city police officers recommend ed to the city council Friday night that Klamath Falls Police Chief Orville Hamilton be re moved from office. In a statement of findings doc ument, the grand jury charged that "undue force" had been used by police on persons taken into custody, and accused Ham ilton of knowing of the situa tion but taking no action. Moo.- p After Meteor Firing Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. (IP) Scientists Saturday confidently discussed a rocket firing to the moon as a result of the U.S. penetration of inter planetary space with artificial meteors. In Pasadena, Calif., Dr. Fritz Zwicky, California Institute of Technology astrophysicist, said America should bombard the moon and other nearby planets with two-pound pellets. Maurice Dubin of the geo physical research directorate of the Air Force Cambridge Re search Center, said Friday's an nouncement of the breakthrough into interplanetary space "un doubtedly" prepared the way for a rocket to the moon. Dr. John S. Rinehart, assist ant director of the Smithsonian astrophysical observatory a t Cambridge, said artificial mete orites could be hooked onto rockets to furnish information needed to help pave the way for flights to the moon "and be yond." . Friday's announcement made here said the latest space experi ment believed to be man's first penetration into interplanetary space, began Oct. 16 at Hollo man Air Force base in Alama gordo, N.M. Pellets Hit Space Shaped charges of tiny, ballbearing-sized aluminum pellets were blasted into outer space and at least two of the tiny me teorites escaped the earth's grav ity and possibly were drawn into the orbit of the sun, scientists said. The Soviet Sputniks are still within the earth's pull of grav ity but the new "space pills", with speeds of 40,000 miles per hour, apparently have broken through that barrier. . , Zwicky, who suggested the pellet experiment, said that fir ing a two-pound slug at the moon would be invaluable for research. He said it could be tracked until it - hit the - moon, causing a tremendout dust cloud that, would be visible through telescopes. To Learn About Moon "By using spectroscopes, we could learn : much about the moon composition, whether it had sand or stone or what on its surface", he said. - Rinehart, who helped design the shaped charges that were fired by a 1,100 pound Aerobee rocket, said the meteorites would Football Scores WEST Oregon State 10, Oregon 7 Washington St. 27, Washing tori 7 UCLA 20, Southern California 9 ' Stanford 14, California 12 Air Force Academy 31, New Mexico 0 Colorado 38, Iowa St. 21 . Arisona 17, Marquette 14 Arizona St. 41, College of Pa cific 0 EAST Clemson 13, Wake Forest 8 Pittsburgh 14. Penn. St. 13 Princeton 34, Dartmouth 14 Rutgers 19, Columbia 7 Yale 54, Harvard 0 Maryland 12, Virginia 0 Lehigh 26, Lafayette 13 Thiel 35, Washington and Jef ferson 0 SOUTH Georgia Tech 0, Florida 0 North Carolina St. 29. South Carolina 26 Kentucky 20. Tennessee I Villanova 24, Wichita 6 West Virginia 7, Syracuse 6 Alabama 29, Mississippi South ern 2 Auburn 29, Florida St. 7 Vanderbilt 27, Citadel 0 North Carolina 21, Duke 13 Washington (Mo.) U. 47, Wash ington & Lee 0 MIDWEST t Ohio St. 31, Michigan 14 Iowa 21, Noire Dame 13 Michigan St. 27, Kansas 9 Tennessee St. 26, Lincoln (Mo.) U. 6 Purdue 35. Indiana 13 1 Wisconsin 14, Minnesota 6 Illinois 27. Northwestern 0 Kansas 9, Missouri 7 Oklahoma 32, Nebraska 7 Dayton 20, Detroit 10 SOUTHWEST East Texas St. 37, Sul Ross St. 7 Arkansas, 47, Texas Tech 26 Southern Methodist 14, Bay lor 7 Rice 20, Texas Christian 0 Houston 13, Tulsa 7 Texas Southern 13, Arkansas AM&N 0 Abilene Christian 33, Howard Payne 6 Louisiana Tech 15. Northwest Louisiana St. 6 Florida AfcM 32, Southern 8 Discussed assist scientists ,with air density information and "will allow us to use outer space as a natural vacuum chamber for future ex periments." Dubin said that by using the technique of meteor firing, sci entists could blast a rocket on its way to the moon. Such a trip would take about 10 hours and cover 250,000 miles. Man Found Dead In Medford Jail, Police Chief Says Leo Jefferson Culley, 62, Med ford, was found dead in the city jail by police officers about 2:35 p.m. Saturday, according to Chief Charles P. Champlin. Champlin said Culley, who was lodged in the city jail about 8 p.m. Friday on charges of be ing drunk in public, did not ap pear to be sick at any time never asked officers for help, complain ed of feeling ill and said he was all right when questioned by other prisoners. Officers said Culley spoke lit tle while in jail and sat on his bunk most of the time. He told one prisoner he felt "rough" about 9 a.m. Saturday. He is also said to have complained his leg was hurting him but did not want other prisoners to summon the desk sergeant. Police said that about 15 min utes before Culley was -found dead another prisoner had ask ed for cigarettes for "Leo." When taking the cigarettes to the cell, Culley was seen lying on his bunk in an unusual position. The desk sergeant was called and Culley was found to be dead. Other prisoners told police that they were not aware that Culley had died until officers checked him. Champlin said he had notifed the-state- police and Al Franzke; deputy district attorney, . to as sist him in conducting an investi gation. An autopsy will be requested, according to the chief. Funeral arrangaments will be announced by Conger-Morris Funeral home. Sputnik Third Stage Seen In Portland Portland, Ore.' (IP) The third stage of sputnik No. 1, or "Alpha one," was sighted by 15 stud ents at Grout grade school here at 5:46 p.m. Saturday. Robert Boardwell, a teacher at the school and head of the "moon watch team," said the third stage rocket traveled in a northwest to southeast direction and was visible for "almost a full min ute." Boardwell said he had receiv ed a call from the Smithsonian Institute at 5 p.m. advising his group of a possible observation over Portland. He said the rock et was "as bright, if not brighter, than the North Star." If it doesn't crash or disinte grate before then, the rocket should be visible again over Portland tomorrow evening, Boardwell said. Post Mortem Backs Prior Diagnosis That Pill Overdose Caused Spicer Death Post mortem examinations confirmed District Attorney Thomas Reeder's conclusion that James Vear Spicer died in the county jail two weeks ago as the result of an overdose of seda tives, he stated Saturday. The death-cause investigation of the 44-year-old Medford man included interviews with all eight prisoners confined in the felony cell with Spicer, with jail personnel, Jhe autopsy itself, ex amination of specimens at the state crime laboratory, and an interpretive letter form the path ologist who performed the autop sy, Reeder stated. He said he is closing the case, and that his investigation dis closed no evidence of criminal negligence sufficient to cause it to be brought before the grand jury. Nor was there any evidence of suicidal intent in Spicer's tak ing the sedative pills, Reeder stated. Why he took them, an estimated 30 or more pills, will never be known, the district attorney said. Violation of Rules The fact that Spicer was per mitted to keep the pills while in jail is a violation of jail reg ulations, Reeder said, and he criticized jail personnel for al lowing it. But he added that the pills had been prescribed for the Mo By War "Button, Button, Who lei Defense Investigation Pla nned By Washington (W The Senate investigation of the Eisenhower administration's defense policies, opening Monday, will produce new demands for appointment of a single boss of rocket-missile production, two senators, indicat ed Saturday: Carousel Planned For Third Showing Because an estimated 250 per sons had to be turned away from the closing performance of "Carousel" at Medford High school Friday night, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical will be produced a third time, it was announced by the directors Sat urday. The third showing will be Tuesday, November 26, at 8 p.m. in the high school auditorium-Reserved seats will go on sale again Monday at the high school office, it was announced, and it was stressed that holders of tickets who failed to be seated Friday night will be assured of seats Tuesday. Lyn Sjolund, one of the show's directors, expressed his pleasure over the way the pro duction had been received. School officials believe that this is the first time in Medford his tory that a school production has been given a third perform ance. Washington (in The Army revealed today that it has de veloped an "electronic weather man" which may make it easier to get bulls-eye accuracy with U.S. missiles. man during an earlier stay in jail, and that the jailers actually were trying to help him by per mitting him to keep the medinca tion with him. Reeder said his investigation showed the following chronology of events leading up to Spicer's death He was arrested by city police on Friday, Nov. 8, and charged with passing bad checks in two Medford establishments, charges freely admitted by Spicer in signed statements to city police. He showed definite signs of in toxication at the time of the ar rest, and told officers he had been drinking steadily for some time. He was booked into the county jail that evening. During the evening and night, he was ob served by other prisoners taking pills freely, and one of them advised him to "go easy" on them. He paid no attention but this caused no -one concern be cause of his condition. On Saturday, Reeder said he was quiet and slept, when he' was admitted. He showed no signs of illness or discomfort un til late afternoon, when he lap sed into a semi-comatose state, Reeder said the other prisoners told him.' When a Medford doc tor, summond to examine anoth er prisoner, arrived, he was ask ed to check Spicer, nd.- found- Prospects Eyed ense Flannel's GeU The Button?" Senators The senators, both members of the preparedness subcommit tee which will conduct the in vestgiation, voiced doubts that the . President , has gone far enough to. streamline govern mental machinery for the race to overtake Russia. Sen. Styles Bridges (R-N.H.) told reporters he believes there should be a real missile boss, whether the- man is called a di rector, coordinator or czar. : . He said the committee wants a picture of the authority given William Holaday, defense de fense department missile direct or, ' and Dr. James R. Killian, scientific advisor to President Eisenhower. Sen. John C. Stennis (D-Miss.) vice chairman of the subcommit tee said he wants to know the extent to which the President "has authorized someone to real ly coordinate the entire missile program and given him author ity to act." A third subcommittee mem ber, Sen. Ralph E. Flanders (R- Vt.) said earlier this week that he was disappointed that more authority has not been given to Killian. Under the chiarmanship of Senate Democratic leader Lyn don B. Johnson, the subcommit tee will hold three days of hear ing next week some in public session and some closed and re turn for a second round of hear ings Dec. 13. San Diego (IB San Diego county's estimated population now is 900,000 persons, making it the second largest county in California, the State Department of Finance reported Saturday. him dead Reeder stated that the jail per sonnel did not know that Spicer was taking the pill indiscrim inately. Evidence from the other prisoners indicated he seemed to know what he was doing, Reed er declared. He added that the rule against allowing prisoners to keep their ,own medication with them in jail would be strict ly enforced. Contained Phenobarbital The pills, a type of sedative, contained phenobarbital. Reeder said that Spicer's bottle, origin ally containing 100 pills, contain ed about one-third that number when he was jailed Friday even ing. Each contained about a half grain of the drug. The empty bottle was found in the jail cell Sunday morning. The crime laboratory report to Reeder said Spicer's blood contained a barbital level of 3.2 milligrams per 100 cubic centi meters, and that death occurred about 16 to 20 hours after the last dosage was taken. The conclusion of the path ologist was that the excess of the drug was the cause of death. Results of the post mortem ex amination indicated no other conditions which would have caused death. Abnormal condi tions otherwise were from old illnesses' or injuries, the report said. i Mass Production Believed Lacking In Russian ICBM Intelligence View Said Short Range Washington OPt The Ei senhower administration is plan ning next year's defense pro gram on the belief that Russia has not yet begun mass produc tion of intercontinental ballistic missiles and is not ready to launch a war now, it was learn ed Saturday. This estimate is the basis of the administration's pleas that the nation not panic in the face of Russia's recent missile and satellite progress and congress not vote unrealistic increases in military spending. The intelligence estimate is a short-range one dealing with Russia's immediate military ca pabilities." Several other studies on what the Soviets may achieve in the future and what this country must do to pull ahead also are receiving priority attention, the White House sources said. The White House said Satur day 1 President Eisenhower is giving "active consideration" to a new highly-classified study of the arms race and related for eign policy matters Mrs. Anne Wheaton, associate White House press secretary, re fused to comment on the contents of the report. But a - reliable source, said it-stresses the possi bility that long-range . Soviet missiles may be able to offset the U.S. strategic air command's airplanes in another few- years. It calls for prompt action to build- defenses against; missile bombardment. Meanwhile, there were these other developments in the de fense picture: ,' - Sens. John Stennis (D-Miss.), vice chairman of the subcommit tee, and Sen. Styles Bridges (R N.H.), its top Republican mem ber, expressed fears that Presi dent Eisenhower has dissipated authority among his various de fense and scientific advisers, and called for a single missile-satel- ' lite boss. Air Force officers said ar tificial meteors shot into space Oct. 16 may unravel some of the mysteries confronting future space ship builders. The meteors, actually aluminum pellets, at tained speeds of 40,000 miles-per hour. Some may have been drawn into, the "sun. Eisenhower said that satel lite and missile progress has caused people to lose sight of the peaceful potentials of atomic energy. He made the comment to Rep. Sterling Cole (R-N.Y.), new director of the international at omic energy agency. Sen. Wayne Morse (D-Ore.) said in a speech at Boston that .the administration, has had in formation on Soviet missile and satellite tests "for at least two years." Morse said the military threat posed by the launching of the Soviet satellite is "new only in the sense that the American people now know about it." No Warnings Now For Rule Violators Capt. Paul Parson, command er of the local state police dis trict, said Saturday that, effect ive, immediately, his officers will stop issuing warnings for vio lations of the basic rule. , : Instead, he said, they will seek appropriate action through the courts. Captain Parson add ed that they are under instruc tions to use warnings more spar ingly in all traffic offenses than at present, and to seek court penalties more frequently. The orders were issued by State Police Superintendent H. G. (Fod) Maison at the instruc tion of Gov. Robert A. Holmes during a safety commission meeting Friday, and were mo tivated by the bad automobile accident and fatality record throughout the state during the fall months. In addition; the governor is writing to judges throughout the state to urge them to be more severe in the penalties meted out for traffic offenses. The number of traffic acci dents and fatalities in the state in October and so far in Novem ber are of near-record propor tions, it was pointed out at the Friday meeting.