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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1957)
0)fnn7? Tribune EDFORD 26 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1957 No. 195 M o O o xamination M Attempt Made at Medford Branch of First National Robbery Thwarted As Teller Sees Toy Gun A sanity examination has been requested for a 57-year-old man who waCarrested yesterday after an attempt was made to hold up the Medford branch of the First National bank. The suspect is Charles Wesley Seaver, a recent arrival in Med ford, and a former patient in a veterans hospital in Vancouver, Wash. He was arrested about 40 minutes after the attempted hold-up at 4:15 p.m., when City Police Officer Gene Dupuy saw he answered a description given of the holdup man by bank em ployees. u When asked to accompany the officer to the police station for questioning, a toy gun, similar to the one used in the holdup at tempt, fell from Seaver's coat, Officer Dupuy said. Robbery Thwarted The robbery was thwarted when Mrs, Edna May McLeod, the bank teller, recognized the gun the man pointed at her was a toy. She said he pointed the silver colored cap pistol at her and handed her a handwritten & note which said, "I want the paper money or death for you me." She told authorities the pistol was "broken" as if for reloading. When she recognized It as a toy, she attempted to show the note to a nearby clerk. The clerk was busy, so Mrs. McLeod left her teller's cage and crossed the floor of the bank to the desk of C. Elwood Hedberg, the bank manager. While Hedberg called police, Mrs. McLeod and Assistant Man ager Allen Eames saw the man had left the bank. They ran out the Main st. entrance but were unable to locate him. Qulir Busy Q "Bank officers said the bank quite busy at the time the (exempt was made, and that the rrTT(-J3ood In one line, then (ehgr&id to the line at Mrs. Mc $3d'a)window. They said he did Sot Sbeak during the incident. q Pojfte and federal bureau of investigation agents said this mnmiiig Soavpr Via made no formal admission of the holdup attempt, but that he did tell them he had written a note de manding money from the teller. Krjls being held in the county jail. Doctors who examined Seaver this morning said they will ask the court to have him sent to the Oergon state hospital for a 30-day mental observation. A physician was summoned by po liec after Seaver was arrested because he was in a "very ner vous condition." Search Bank A search of the bank yester day revealed several "pactice" notes demanding money in a wastebasket. Officers said the notes were on the same type of paper as the holdup note, and seemed to be in the same hand writing. Seaver told police he recently had been released from the VA hospital in Vancouver, Wash., and listed his address as 7312 S.E. Woodward ave., Portland. He said he has been in Medford since about Dec. 3. living at the San Louis hotel, 33 South Front st. FBI agents said they are awaiting word from the U.S. at torney in Portland before pro ceeding further in the case. Salem W Gov. Robert D. Holmes has proclaimed Dec. 10 as human rights day. Council Authorizes Meter Use For Awning Supports The city council last night adopted an ordinance to. permit downtown merchants to use parking meter posts for awning supports. Such an awning is planned around the Fluhrer building at Main st. and Cen tral ave. The awnings will be of a plas tic material to cover sidewalks from the building to the curb. City Manager Robert Duff said insurance rates for the city and buildings using the awnings may increase slightly. Plastic used in the awnings is fireproof, according to tests by the building department. The ordinance provides that signs on such awnings must comply with the city sign ordinance, exten sion of parking meter supports sLfirrt' -'"-, im iMn '"''"t'S ARRESTS HOLDUP SUSPECT Medford Police Officer Gene Dupuy holds the toy pistol said to be used by suspect Charles Wesley Seaver, 57, in an attempt to hold up the Medford branch of the First National Bank of Portland. Dupuy said he saw Seaver walking on South Central ave. about 30 minutes after the attempted holdup. When questioning him the toy gun fell from his coat. Seaver was lodged in the county jail on charges of attempted bank robbery. Grange Group Studies Proposal to Include Hospital at A proposal to expand the Camp White Veterans Adminis trtaion Domiciliary into a combi nation domiciliary and general hospital is under investigation by a committee of the Eagle Point Grange. The group this morning met with E. K. Ricker, manager of Camp White, to discuss the pro posal, and to tour facilities at Lininger Bids Low On Eighth St. Job M. C. Lininger and sons, Med ford, was low bidder for grading and paving Eigth st. between Elm and Front sts. in Medford. The company bid $106,850. The project is part of Med ford's arterial street program, and will be for eastbound traffic when completed. Main st. will serve westbound traffic in the one-way couplet. Bids for the project were opened by the state highway commission in Portland yester day. It is a federal aid project. Other bidders on the paving project were Hughes and Dodd and Tru-Mix Equipment com pany, Medford, $113,213; R and M Construction company, Cen tral Point, $113,235: F. L. Som ers, Medford, $128,622; and Peter Kiewit Sons' company, Medford, $149,442. Steeck Electric company of Medford submitted a bid of $7,119 for installation of traffic signals on Pacific highway at Siskiyou blvd., and Wightman st., Ashland. Radio Moscow Reports U. 5. Satellite Failure London (IP) Radio Moscow reported flatly and without com ment tonight the U.S. failure to launch its first satellite. The short announcement heard here said: "The much publicized U.S. artificial earth satellite Van guard, which was to have been launched today, exploded with the carrier-rocket during the launching." must be according to city speci fications, not be distracting for passing traffic, and must be re moved if awnings are in a state of disrepair. A representative of a firm planning to use such an awning told the council about 60 per cent of the summer heat would be atM sorbed by the awnings. He said present awnings now cover about one-third to one-half the side walk and only keep the sun from the store windows. . He said with installation of the awnings, people walking on the sidewalk would be protected from the sun and rain as would the goods in store windows. He said the awnings can be con sidered an improvement in the looks of the downtown area. CW Site the domiciliary now unused. Post 15, Medford American Legion, and other veterans groups, have long been working quietly to see if the proposal can be placed into effect. The Grange became interested in the idea re cently, and members have indi cated that if expanded VA facili ties cannot be obtained, other possible uses for the buildings will be investigated. Conference This Morning The conference this morning was attended by about 15 mem bers of the Grange, and press representatives. Members told Ricker they had heard rumors of a VA hospital to be built in eastern Oregon, but he said they may have arisen from plans an nounced in 1946 to build a 200 bed VA hospital in Klamath Falls. The plan later was abandoned. Ricker said the present num ber of members at Camp White is 861, and added that some 200 veterans are now actively seek ing medical care there. He de clined to estimate the number of hospital beds which could be ac commodated should hospital sta tus be given to the facility. The nearest VA hospital to the south is at Oakland, and the nearest VA general hospital is in Portland. The VA hospital in Roseburg is for neuropsychiatric patients. Constructed during the war as a general army hospital to serve two divisions in training at Camp White, the present build ings still have a clinic, operating rooms, and other hospital facili ties. Ricker said that general hospi tal costs total between $18 and $24 per day per patient to oper ate, wheraes costs for a domi ciliary are about $5 per member per day. Following the conference, the group left on a tour of the do miciliary, and of the unused hos pital facilities. 22 Appointments For Bloodmobile Listed Red Cross officials reported today that only 22 appointments have been made for the regular visit of the Bloodmobile at the new Red Cross building on Haw thorne st. Wednesday, Dec. 11. The Bloodmobile will be sta tioned at the building between 1 and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Red Cross officials said 350 donors are needed to fill the 290 pin, quota for Medford. Appoint ments may be made by telephon ing the Red Cross office at Spring 3-3813. They said walk in donors would be welcome. Ike at Gettysburg For Restful Week End Gettysburg, Pa. (IP) Presi dent Eisenhower was at his farm today for a long restful week end before his doctors determine definitely whether he can at tend the NATO summit confer ence in Paris. The Chief Executive arrived at his rambling farm home here Thursday. ed Bulletin Atlantic City. N. J. (W The AFL-CIO convention to day booted the Teamsters Union out of the merged labor movement for failure to re move officials charged with corruption. The two-thirds vote neces sary for expulsion was clinched when the million - member Sleelworkers Union threw its weight behind the clear-up forces. Bids Opened for Science, Heating Plant at College Ashland Bill Wiley, Ashland contractor, submitted the lowest base bid for the general contract for constructing a new science building at Southern Oregon col lege, Dr. Elmo Stevenson said today. Wiley bid $232,150. Bids were opened in Portland yester day. Electronic Service of Medford submitted a low base bid of $35,- 470 for electric service in the building, and Modern Plumbing of Medford bid $73,340 on a me chanical contract. Subject to Review All bids are subject to review Vi-o- the stafp board of hieher education early next week, Dr. Stevenson said. Base bids do not include alternatives. Weber Showcase and Fixtures company, San Francisco, submit ted a base bid of $31,125 for equipment in the science build ing, Dr. Stevenson said. Graff and James of Medford submitted a bid of $104,103 for construction of the heating plant and tunnels on the campus, and Modern Plumbing was low bid rfpr on the heating plant me chanical contract. The firm bid $154,800 to install steam lines, boilers, storage tanks and pip ing. Ground Work Dr. Stevenson said construc tion of both buildings is expected to start within 30 days after con tracts have been awarded. Other bids on the general con tract were: A. S. McMurry com pany, Yreka, $239,062; H. G. Carl Construction company. Salem, $248,432; Graff and James, $243,828; Bessonette Con struction company, Medford, $252,000: Myers D. Jones, Med ford, $258,000; Todd Building rnmnanv. Roseburg, $267,440; Donald M. Drake company, Port land, $270,500; and H. Barnhart, Medford, $280,525. Other bidders on the heating plant were: R. I. Randolph Con struction company, baiem, $11,- 107- Todd, $124,689; Ausianct Construction company. Grants Pass, $125,960; Bessonette, $133,- 000; Drake, $143,800; and Can, $164,832. Bids for the mechanical work on the science building were: Rogue River Hardware company, Grants Pass, $79,074; McLaugh lin Plumbing and Heating com pany, Medford, $79,998; Stuart Mechanical, Medford, $85,000; Urban Plumbing and Heating company, Portland, $92,874: and A. G. Rushlight company, Port land, $95,030, The Down-To-Earth Missile Race (HerblocJs Is r Holdup GASOLINE' SPILLED This gasoline truck, which was parked at Richfield Truck and Auto service, 2390 North Pacific highway, was struck about 5 a.m. today by a logging truck operated by Leonard D. Lewis, Med ford, when he turned into the station to have a headlight repaired. A fist-sized hole (see ar row) was torn in the side of the tank and 2,800 gallons of ethyl gasoline spilled out on the ground and down a nearby drainage Stayton Man Killed In Rock Slide on Construction Job Grants Pass HP! Charles M. Warnock, 50, of Stayton, was killed Thursday while working on a forest access road near Brownton in southeastern Jose phine county. Warnock, an employee of the A. L. Harding Construction com pany, was working with three other crew members on a shale rock face. Three of the four men jumped to safety when the shale above them began to slide. Warnock, however, was crush ed by several large slabs of shale before he could flee. He was crushed against a drilling rig. Survivors include his wife, who is residing ' temporarily at Applegate. Pick Drill Spot Virgil Hull, Josephine county coroner, said that Warnock, Gary Bales, Larry Adams, and Willis Harding, one of the owners of the construction firm, were pick ing a spot to drill a hole for fur ther blasting. Rock had been cleared by a bulldozer after pre vious blasting at the site. Hull credited Adams with preventing additional loss of life. He said Adams saw the rock falling and yelled. Bales was knocked down by the slide. The road is being built for the bureau of land management. Scene of the slide was on Steve's fork of Sturgis creek. Milwaukie, Ore. OP) Thieves peeled open the safe at Mil waukie High school Thursday night and authorities said about $260 in cash was taken. Copyright. 1957. The Pulitzer Publishing Co, St. Louis Post-Dispatch I on Vacation) . 7jr -- Khrushchev Says US IKIas Sputnik docket Moscow (TP) Soviet Communist party chiftain Nikita Khrush chev said tonight that the carrier rocket of the first Soviet Sput nik plunged to earth over American territory last Sunday but "the Americans will not give it up to us." Khrushchev made his declaration io foreign correspondents at a Finnish Embassy reception. Q' "We know the carrier rocket fell over the United Stales," Khrushchev said. "But they do not want to give it back to us. "We relied on their decency, but they did not live up lo it." "We know it fell somewhere in the United Stales and will an nounce it publicly soon with a request thai they return it to us." He added thai "should the Americans launch a Sputnik and if that Sputnik falls over Soviet territory, we would return it promptly." When asked to comment on the American satellite, he said: "We have been waiting for an American Sputnik to be launched, and I am sure that it will be launched sooner or later." Satellite Failure 'Not Too Surprising' Washington OP) Defense Secretary Neil H. McElroy said today the failure of the U.S. satellite launching was "disap pointing" but "not too sur prising." McElroy discussed the launch ing failure just before taking off for Europe where he will at tend the NATO summit meet ing in Paris. "Of course it was disappoint ing," McElroy said, "But it was not too surprising at our first full-scale trial." President Eisenhower had no immediate comment.' But members of Congress re acted quickly and, in some cases, bitterly. Sen. Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D-Wyo.) blamed the Eisenhower administration for failure of the Vanguard launching. Blames Eisenhower "It should never have happen ed," O'Mahoney told newsmen. "We have the scientists capable of doing the job but they were held back by the administra tion." He added that one of the first acts of President Eisen hower after taking office in DOW-JONES AVERAGES New York Iff) Dow-Jones final stock averages 30 indus trials 447.20. off 2.35; 20 rail roads 99.20, off 1.51; 15 utili ties 67.80, off 0.16. and 65 stocks 148.40, off 0.97. Sales today were about 2,350,000 shares compared with 2,020, 000 shares Thursday. WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy with show ers tonight and Saturday. A little warmer. Low tonight 38-40. High Saturday 48. Temp. Hiehest Yesterday 40 Lowest this Morning 3 Prec. to 10 a.m. Today 05 Our Skies Tonight Sunrise Sunset 7:26 a.m. 4:39 p.m. 4:37 p.m. Moonrise Full Moon .. 10:16 p.m. PROMINENT STAR Aldebaran, near the Moon. VISIBLE PLANETS Venus, sets 7:50 p.m. Jupiter, rises Mars, rises 3:34 a.m. .... 5:47 a.m. grate. According to Fire Chief Gordon Bark er, it will take a day or so for that much gasoline to evaporate and there is a potential danger of it becoming ignited in the drain age ditch. Lewis said that his truck brakes grabbed and the vehicle went into a skid as he turned into the station, according to city police. The gasoline truck, property of the Acme Transportation company, was badly damaged. 1953 was to cut back research and development budgets sub mitted to Congress by President Truman. "Publicitywise and propa gandawise, the failure was as disastrous to us as Russian Sput niks one and two," O'Mahoney aid. Other congressional com ment varied. "Of course it's disappointing," said Sen.' John L. McClellan (D-Ark.). "It emphasizes the need for our concentrating with all our might and strength in the field of science and technology until we have advanced to where we are confident that our accomp lishments are not inferior to any other in the world." Too Much Publicity Rep. Gerald R. Fo,rd Jr. (R Mich.), member of the House Appropriations S u b c o mmittee looking into the missile-satellite picture, said the failure "in dicates a good reason why it is desirable to proceed with the Army Jupiter-C missile as an alternative for launching a satel lite." Rep. Carl T. Durham (D-N.C), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said it was unfortunate the attempted launching "had so much publicity." World Newspapers Jibe at U.S. Satellite By UNITED PRESS Slowness of the- United States to get its earth satellite off the ground was reflected today in titles bestowed upon it through out the world. 'Stallnik' in Mexico In Japan it became the "Sput ternik." In Mexico they call it the "Stallnik." In Germany it is the "Spaetnik" which can be freely translated into "Latenik." French newspapers ranging from Figaro to the Communist l'Humanite called it the "Pam plemousse" which is French for grapefruit. Belgium newspapers used the same expression. To the Danes Vanguard Explodes As Flames, Smoke Engulf Missile Several Weeks Seen Before New Attempt Cape Canaveral, Fla. (IP) A satellite-carrying U.S. rocket exploded on the ground today in a fresh failure of American efforts to meet Russia's Sputnik challenge. The Defense Department an nounced " its personnel and scientists at the scene escaped injury. An orcnge ball of flame and billowing clack smoke engulfed the gleaming silver Vanguard Navy missile at the moment it was fired, 8:45 a.m. (P.S.T.) The rocket blew up on its launching stand. Army Getting Ready The Defense Department also said it probably will be at least several weeks before another at tempt will be made to launch a test satellite. The Army, also in the moon carrying effort, is getting ready its own attempt to launch a satellite but it is not ready to fire. The Vanguard, a thing of beautiy on its launching 'stand, toppled into the water just be fore it exploded, .an inglorious end to a magnificent endeavor. Rocket Explodes Dr. John P. Hagen, chief of the satellite project, said in Washington through a spokes man that the trouble developed two seconds after the Vanguard rocket was fired. . The spokesman said there was a "loss of chamber pressure in the first stage" of the three- stage 72-foot rocket. "Then the rocket fell back on the stand, toppled over toward the water that is toward the east and exploded," the spokesman said. Fire followed the explosion of the Vanguard but did not last long. In nontechnical ' language, what happened, according to the Defense Department, was that the power failed vhich hurls the rocket into space. Early diag nosis put the blame in the rocket's first stage. Hagan quoted J. Paul Walsh, deputy Vanguard director at Canaveral, as being "naturally very disappointed." Reporters could hear the dra- matic last portion of the count down preceding the firing 19-18-17 ... News of Failure They got down to one second. All was tense in the public in formation office at Patrick Air Force Base. Maj. Kenneth Grine was on the phone. He got to zero. Noth ing happened. Then there was a pause. It was only seconds but seemed like hours. The announcer at the cape on ' the phone said "All personnel stand by." Then the news was broken that the rocket had failed. Finally they passed around a little card with these words on it: "Exploded No injuries." But by then everybody knew. It was written on the face of the man on the phone. Minutes later, pelicans wheel ed over the base at Cape Cana veral, the only sign of aerial activity visible to hundreds of newsmen and spectators who had gathered on the beach to witness the event. BUY CHRISTMAS SEALS HELP FIGHT TB Attempts it is "Sprutnik," and "Sprut" is Danish slang for booze. The usual German expression for it is "Spaetnik" but off the cuff it's either "Fluppnit" or "Klappnit" which is slang for "it does not work." 'Baby Moon' in Italy Oslo's newspaper Arbeiderbla det headlined it "USAtellite." . The Swiss also settle for Spaetnik and play it straight faced. ' In Italy it's the "U.S. Baby Moon." In Helsinki it is the "Baby Moon." The Zurich newspaper Tage sanzeiger calls it the "Yankee-moon." C,
