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!
SNEAKY PETE'S
MAGIC SH0W1
Cut Iti lady in half
and ether gy
magic tricks!
SHOOT CROWS
OFF THE FENCE!
4 plastic birds and 20
barrel "cork"
gun. 135
Explorer-Vanguard tracking
station VA" high, 10" long
Radar screen shows globe,
moving satellites! Track and
signal with telegraph key!
Rotating radar scanner, red
light on radio tower!
3.44
Blast-off station launches
rockets high into air!
Turn crank to fire either 6 Vi"
rockets or AVi" satellites from
steel launching base with au
thentic design. Radar scanner
turns to track "sky". .
2
Fanner, 50 gun, holster for
the fastest draw on the block!
98
As shown on TV's Mickey Was 6.49
Mouse Club. . Bullet-loading
5-shot cap gun in cowhide
holster plus 18 metal play bul
lets. For the junior "Marshall."
4.98
BABY RATTLE
WHIRL! .
Exciting action toy
for ages 6 I QO
mo. to 3 yra. LC) ,
18-PC LAYETTE
FOR DOLL BABIES
Vinyl Basket with han
dles; tall of
baby thing!
Sale! Rose Christmas lights
Only at Wards! UL approved
Doll stroller has
canopy to keep doll in shade! t
2.98
24 red or pink plastic 2 roses
fit over miniature bulbs. Clear
bulbs are 12 apart on 30'
cord. Replaceable bulbs; add
on plug. 24-light set!
5.98
Parade dolly in comfort and
style! Has 11xl0"seat,chrome
trim, PLUS detachable canopy
and shopping bag! Will de
light any doll, and little mother I
6.95
Cuddle this ll1" Tiny Tears,
she drinks, wets, cries
Cries reo tears! Dressed in
cotton romper, has rooted hair.
Layette has pajamas, booties,
pacifier, bottle, spongewash
doth, soap and Kleenex I
7
98
NEW SHOOTING
GALLERY, FUN!
19" metal range.
Pellet gun rings
bells!
2.98
CRAYON-BY-NUMBER
Stencils pict u r e s,
bright crayons
make it 08c
easy, fun! . 70
52-GAME CHEST
YEAR-LONG FUN!
A gome for every week
of the year. .
15 x 11 case. MO
SUB-MACHINE GUN
SPARKS, RECOILS!
Battery-run, leeks,
sound real, a q
Fast action I e.30
104 WREATH
WITH CANDLE! .
Red cellophane wrlh
hanger, elec
tric candle.
69c
DELIGHT DOLLY
WITH 23" BUGGY
Canopy keeps her
in the shade! Q QC
Silver. 7'7-'
1.98 DOLL BATH
WITH DOLL
Adorable doll plus
tub, pail. ee
15-pc set. 00
WARDS TOYLAIID PRICES SAVE YOU IKORE SO YOU CAN GIVE MORE!