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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1958)
Bomb Rips Religious Colony; Talk With Stranger Overheard (continued from Page 1) As dawn broke over the A cult member. Brother desolate scene, some 12 mem- Martin, told deputies that shortly before the explosion he overheard "master" Venta! and another brother in a con versation with a stranger in the office of the main monas tery building. The man was wearing shoes and was not a member of the sect because none of them wear shoes, Brother Martin said. Martin said the stranger was in his early 20s, wore khaki clothes and carried a small canvas zipper bag about 18-inches long. "I heard the master say 'What do you think I am, a hypocrite? just before I left the building and in a moment the whole thing exploded," Martin said. Ventura county fire offi cials said there was "no doubt '. the explosion was caused,' by a bomb." Los Angeles and Ventura county sheriff s investigators, and the FBI in an unofficial capacity, began an immediate investigation. Los Angeles Police Sgt. R. H. Sansing said "it is common knowledge Venta had many enemies. In the course of his travels here and in Europe he managed to acquire many enemies." In Serious Condition 1 I he dead and their approxi j mate ages were listed as: Bishop Marlin Baker, 40; Car J dinal James Shanafelt, 37; Brother' Ellyn James Shana- felt, 11 months. Sister Keela uaicer, ; iiisnopess jean ; Shanafelt, 38, Sister Anna Noga, 65, and Sister Ethel R6ey, 58, and Venta, 47. Two of the injured, Sister Erma Winfrey, 59 and Sheila Vizina, 8, were taken to Ven tura County hospital with serious burns. A second child, Linda Lee Baker, 9, was taken to Los Angeles County hospital where she was reported in serious condition with burns over 80 per cent of her body. Mrs. Ruth Lewis, a mem ber of the cult, said the whole building "blew up. Every thing was on fire. I managed to get my little grand duaghter, Linda, out." Sister Nekona, who uses only a first name as do the other cult members, said she was in the main building at the time of the explosion. ;."Shortly before I went to sleep I heard a man talking toi a brother who told him 4 You know you are not sup posed to be on these prem ises,'." she said. Hears Cries for Help "I woke up to find debris falling on my bed. There was fire everywhere At first I thought it was testing at Rocketdyne. North American Aviation's highly secret Rocketdyne ex perimental testing facility is in the general area. Mrs. Dorothy Ham, who lives about a mile from the cult, said she was awakened by the explosion and heard "screams and cries for help. bers of the cult, gathered in the consultation room of one of the remaining buildings of the 11-acre colony. They knelt before the throne of their dead master and hummed a prayer of "Love Kirshna." Cult members turn over their worldly possessions to the foundation, which in turn looks after them as long as they remain members of the sect. Born in San Francisco Some 100 members live on the 11-acre grounds of the cult which started its colony here half a dozen years ago. Venta, 47, a tall, lean bearded figure, tells his fol lowers that he is the Christ. Venta was born Francis Heindswatzer Pencovic in San Francisco March 29, 1911, a day he regards as the sacred day. The chain-smoking mystic has traveled throughout the world studying and lecturing. In 1945 he served briefly in the army. Los Angeles police records showed he had been arrested in cities throughout the West on charges ranging from lar ceny and vagrancy to bur glary. At the monastery site he lived with his second wife, Ruth, and their six children. He had two children by his former wife , who divorced him in 1941. W 4 !fc M FATING HEARTILY, Pork Master, grand champion barrow, is admired by Gerald Anderson, 16, Leland, 111., who raised it. Gerald also raised last 3'ear's Chicago International Live Stock Exposition Poland China champ. F? H 2i NO USE Rev. Nobel Streeter, pastor of a Prineville, Ore., community church, is shown during his hour-long telephone conversation with cornered ex-convict Stanley Robinson, in which the pastor unsuccessfully tried to persuade Robinson to submit to re-arrest. Robinson held off police for 10 hours with a rifle, and finally shot him self. Robinson's ex-wife, standing at left, also pleaded with him, to no avail. Bus-Truck Crash Kills 2, Hurts 20 Somerville, N. J.-OJPD-Two persons were killed and about 20 injured Tuesday night in the collision of a New York bound Trailways bus and a pickup truck on an icy road. Police reported that three persons were injured serious ly when the bus, going east on Route 28, swerved into the westbound lane and crashed headon with a pickup truck at about 8:50 p.m. : Both occupants of the truck were killed. They were iden tified as Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Dillong, both 32, of White house, N. J. Driver George Simons, 37, of Easton, Pa., told police he drove up in back of a truck that had no rear lights. He said he swerved into the op posite lane to avoid hitting the unlighted truck and slammed into the other truck. Simons suffered a frac tured foot and was treated for shock. Five ambulances working in relays took about 20 passengers and Simons to Somerset hospital. Bridges Seeks To Circumvent Law Reno, Nev. - (UPD - Harry Bridges, West Coast longshore leader, goes to court today in an attempt to get around a Nevada law forbidding his marriage to a pretty Nisei secretary. The 58-year-old union chief came here with his bride-to-be, Miss Noriko Nikki Sa- wada, 32, not knowing Ne vada forbids marriages be tween Caucasians and Orien tals. They registered in a $16 a day suite at the Mapes hotel as "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bridges, 150 Golden Gate ave., San Francisco." The ad dress is the headquarters of the International Longshore men's and Warehousemen's Union. Bridges and Miss Sawada received the press in their suite Tuesday morning. Bridges was unusually af fable, but he appeared wor ried when newsmen told him about the N e v a d a law, modeled after an 1864 Cali fornia law found unconstitu tional eight years ago. Grants Pass Girl 'Democracy' Winner Eugene (UPD- Shirley Sat- terfield, 16-y earmold Grants Pass high school student, has been named regional winner of the Voice of Dem ocracy contest. She will com pete in the state finals in Salem this month. The win ner goes to Washington, D. C, in February where four win ners will be chosen for $1500 scholarships. EDUCATOR DIES New York-(UPD-Dr. Donald G. Twksbury, 64, professor of education at Teachers College of Columbia University, died Monday after an illness of several months. 4.1 7, 150 Styles Values 898 to 249S Specially Priced at Size Ranges Jr. High 6 to 14 Juniors 5 to 15 Misses 10tol8 " Cottons Wools Rayons Novelty Fabrics 21 N. Central ON DISPLAY The 1959 Edsel, which is now on display .at Medford Motors, 225 South Riverside ave., Medford, offers a se lection of 10 models in three series, Ranger, Corsair and Villager station wagon. The Edsel features increased passenger space with no added overall length, reduced total weight and a wide selection of economy en gines and transmissions. Shown above are the Corsair four-door hardtop, and the rear of the Ranger four-door sedan. MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Ore., Wednesday, December TO, 195S 7 School Bus Ditched; 70 Lawndale, N. C. -flJPD- More than 40 children crowded into a school bus escaped seri ous injury Tuesday when the bus hit a ditch, plunged down a 12 foot embankment and landed on its roof. The State Highway Patrol said 10 of the children were treated by local physicians Children Treated for minor cuts and bruises and were released. We Give GREEN STAMPS CENTRAL REXALL DRUG Main and Central V 9- 1 Rev. Norvit O. Gift, Evangelist Golden Anniversary Revival December 10-21 7:30 Each Evening MT. PITT AVENUE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Mt. Pitt Avenue and Chestnut HENRY I. BROWN, Pastor WELCOME TO ALL! v.5st k -- 4T "UNDER- THE-TREE" PtImH rtirlftilv f at wrv mam trfft.fflvlnr! 1 X sssmo) LT Tf New! Floating satellite train set space engine, searchlight car e satellite compressatron car e exotic fuel car, tender e track and electric transformer 1.98 LINCOLN LOGS Build wood ( bins! 81 pes. 4 - page design aheet. k Mid COME IN...SEE WARDS DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPACE TRAIN! 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