Cuba
53rd Year
Medford
20 Pages
SANTA MONICA F
Thornton Rules
Hatfield Must
Resign His Post
Salem-fl!PD-Attorney Gener
al Robert Y. Thornton said
late Wednesday that Secretary
of State Mark Hatfield must
resign his present office be
fore becoming governor.
The decision, in effect, gives
to Gov. Robert D. Holmes the
authority to appoint a secre
tary of state to succeed Hat
field. The governor said earlier
his choice for the office was
David O'Hara, former head of
the State Elections division.
Holmes then asked Thornton
for a legal opinion as to his
right to appoint O'Hara.
Hatfield said that he would
have no comment until he
had consulted with Lamar
Tooze, Portland, his private
legal advisor.
. Hatfield claimed earlier that
he had the right to appoint
his own successor after he
became governor.
Opinion Quoted
Thornton's opinion stated:
"Under the clear cut lan
guage of article 5, Oregon
constitution, prohibiting any
one from assuming the office
of governor who holds anoth
er state office, the incumbent
secretary of state and governor-elect
must legally relin
quish his present office in or
der to become governor.
' Thornton said Hatfield must
first submit, his- resignation,,
Then a successor could be ap
pointed and Hatfield would
turn over to him all the
books, moneys and records of
his department.
Thornton used as a prece
dent the case of Hayden ver
sus Hill in which a Lane coun
ty legislator was required to
resign his post before taking
another state job.
The attorney general point
ed out that under an Oregon
law which has been on the
statute books since Oregon
was admitted to the union,
a secretary of state who
chooses to be relieved of his
duties before completing his
term of office is required to
resign to the governor.
The governor (Holmes) then
March of Dimes
Chairman Named
The Medford 20-30 club will
conduct the March of Dimes
campaign in Medford this
year, Jerry Gastineau, county
chairman of the National
Foundation, announced Wed
nesday. The drive runs from
Jan. 2 through 31.
Bert Rostel and Bart Gar
red have been appointed, as
cochairmen of the city fund
raising drive.
In addition to carrying out
its full program on polio, the
National Foundation will in
clude research, professional
education and patient aid in
birth defects and rheumatoid
arthritis.
Rostel said the Medford
chapter of the National Secre
taries association will stuff
and address mailing cards,
due to be distributed within
the next few days.
Local Man Lodged
In Jail After Crash
Robert Daniel Shults, 28,
of 601 West McAndrews rd.,
was lodged in city jail on two
charges early today following
an accident reported to Med
iord police.
Shults was cited for failure
to leave information at the
scene of an accident and
charged with "drunk in public-involved
in, an accident."
According to police invesi
gators. Shults' vehicle veered
from Summit ave. about 3:55
a; m., hitting a fence, cross
ing a flower bed a;id ending
up against a black walnut
tree-all in the yard of Fran
ces Mary Anderson, 604
Clark st.
Shults, who suffered a
slight mouth injury, was later
apprehended at bis residence.
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1959
appoints the new secretary of
state under terms of the con
stitution, according to Thorn
ton. The attorney general also
held that until the constitu
tional requirements are met,
Hatfield remains as secretary
of state and Holmes as gov
ernor. "All officers, except mem
bers of the legislative assem
bly shall hold their offices
until their successors are elect
ed and qualified," Thornton
said.
The decision may be ap
pealed to the courts by Hat
field.
Light Death Toll
Posted in First
Hours of Weekend
United Press International
American motorists made it
a happy New Year by posting
a relatively light traffic death
toll during the first hours of
the long holiday deek 'end
despite widespread snow and
freezing rain. v
Many would be celebrants
decided against whooping it
up on New Year's Eve andf
stayed home rather than brave
slippery highways. '
A snow blanket one to
seven inches deep covered
much of the nation's interior
from Texas northeastward
across the lower Great Lakes
into southern Michigan. Freez
ing rain made highways
treacherous south of the snow
line to the Ohio Valley.
The National Safety Coun
cil had estimated a 102-hour
holiday toll of 390 dead in
traffic, 40 more deaths than
normal for a similar non-holiday
period in January.
Hope for Bcnus
The council hoped the shock
of the high Christmas holi
day highway toil would pro
duce a New Year's bonus of
lives saved. On the basis of
early reports, it appeared the
council's optimism was justi
fied. A United Press Internation
al count at 8 a.m. (PST) show
ed at least 54 traffic deaths
since the holiday began at 6
p.m. Ned Year's Eve. Nine
persons were killed in fires,
six of them in Rochester,
N.Y., and two died in miscel
laneous accidents for an over
all total of 65.
Pennsylvania led the states
in traffic fatalities with six.
Wisconsin and Michigan had
five each, and Illinois and
Minnesota four each.
Unoccupied House
Damaged by Fire
An unoccupied house at
444 North Fir st. was almost
totally destroyed by fire last
night, city firemen reported.
Origin of the blaze had not
been determined this morning
and firemen liad not learned
who owned the residence?
Fire fighting equipment
was sent to the scene about
11:20 p m. after a fireman
at the main station, Front and
Third sts., had noted a glow
in the sky The whole house
was involved in flames when
firemen arrived.
Small damage occurred to
an adjacent storage shed of
Medford Lumber company. -
Tickets Go On Sale
For Centennial Fair
Portland -UPD-Tickets went
on sale today for Oregon's
Centennial exposition and in
ternational trade fair. They
were being sold under the slo
gan, "Be a '59er."
The Centennial Commission
said it has 250,000 books of six
adult tickets to sell for S5 a
book and 50,000 junior ticket
books to sell for $2.50 each.
""
MR. 1958 - One year old today, Joseph Pat
rick Fazio, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Fazio, 2241 Roberts rd., Medford, was the
first baby born in Jackson county last
vear. JoseDh has' come a lone way in a
vear's time sind is a tVDical
eyed and ' fiuTof - mischief. He- doffs- his, Another boy, was born at 9:03 o'clock today
crown today to Anthony Shannon Fahey, to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Harper, 118 West
son of Mr. and Mrs. James Fahey, box 833, McAndrews rd., Medford, at Rogue Valley
Ashland, who was born at 12:45 o'clock this hospital to be the third 1959 baby.
Sweepstakes Prize Goes to City
Of Glendale in Rose Parade
Pasadena. Calif. -d'PD-The
City of Portland, Ore.,
today won second place for
it float in the Tournament
of Roses parade for class
A-2 cities, between 150,000
and 500,000 population. Si.
Paul, Minn., was first and
San Antonio, ' Tex., was
third.
Pasadena, Calif. (UPD The
City of Glendale, Calif., won
the sweepstakes prize as the
most beautiful entry in the
70th annual Tournament of
Roses Parade today as a
shirt-sleeved crowd of a mil
lion and a half persons
Appointments
Planned by Mayor
Mayor John W. Snider said
yesterday he plans to an
nounce the appointment or re
appointment of 12 Medford
citizens to municipal positions
at the city council meeting
Friday night.
The list includes four posts
on the planning commission,
three on the citizens' budget
committee, two on the water
commission, one on the li
brary board, one on the civil
service commission and one
on the municipal court bench.
Mayor Snider said he has
not made definite plans re
garding , membership on the
Medford state athletic com
mission and the board of
plumbing examiners. These
are appointed for one-year
terms,
A new president may be
elected by the council Friday
night, Mayor Snider said. The
retiring council president is
Paul" Meyers, Ward IV, who
did not run for relection last
month.
A finance committee chair
ma q and three members for
the council's legislative com
mittee are also to be named.
Mayor Sniderd said a new
"people-to-people'' committee
movement is designed to pro
mote exchange of letters, vis
its, gifts and cultural exhibits
and programs between Ameri
can cities and "sister" cities
of comparable size in foreign
countries.
Tribune
morning at Ashland General hospital, to
become Jackson county's first citizen this
year. Medford's first baby this year arrived
at 7:15 o'clock at Sacred Heart hospital.
The baby is a son of Mr.' and Mrs. Benjamin
toddler, bright- Lee Long, 1217
watched the spectacle get un
der way.
Judges at the parade's stag
ing center selected the beau
tiful floral float "Adventures
in Fantasy'-composed of 10,
000 Vanda orchids, 6,000
roses and countless blossoms
of narcissus and chrysanthe
mums as the grand winner.
The crowd had started ar
riving at the six-mile long
parade route during the night
with the temperature drop
ping to 52 degrees. The wea
therman predicted a high to
day of 80. The sky was cloud
less, and a bright sun burst
over the San Gabriel moun
tains and splashed down on
the flowery pageant.
Grand prize was won by
the Quaker Oats company, for
its "Arabian Nights" entry
depicting scenes from the
Middle East. It was composed
of roses, orchids and carna
tions. St. George and Dragon
Cal Poly college of Pom
ona, Calif., won the theme
prize for "St. George and the
Dragon." The legendary ad
venture depicted the dragon
roaring out of his giant lair
while a child was meeting the
beast with a lance. The floral
dragon's head swung from
side to side, emitting clouds
of smoke.
."Adventures in Sportsman
ship" entered by the Chevro
let Division of General Mo
tors won the President's Tro
phy in its debut in the parade.
Cowboy star Roy Rogers
and Dale Evans took part in
the float greeting 1958 na
tional soapbox champion
James Miley, Muncie, Ind.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Considerable
Cloudiness through Friday ex
cept for partial clearing in aft
ernoon. Patches of fog and oc
casional drizzle tonight and
Fridav morning. Low tonight
32. High Friday 45.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday t 45
Lowest this Morning 39
Prec. to 10 a.m. Today, Trace
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today 4:48 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow .... 7:41 a.m.
Moonrise tomorrow 12:19 a.m.
Last Quarter tomorrow
2:50 a.m.
Our Earth, on its nearly circu
lar journey through space, to
day reaches the point on its
orbit nearest to the Sun. It is
in Pernihelion and Perihelion
distance this year is 91,344,000
miles.
Price 10 Cents
No. 243
West Ninth st., Medford.
Other soapbox racers ride
down a runway of white
chrysanthemums in front of
a grandstand of 8,000 red and
white, roses.
The City of Los Angeles
with "Horizons Unlimited"
took the Queen's trophy, and
St. Louis was awarded the
National trophy for its "Child
hood Adventures."
A foreign entry, Ireland,
won the international trophy
with its "March of Dimes"
theme. Five girls and a boy,
all students at the University
of Dublin, flew here to ap
pear in the parade. Orchids,
roses and chrysanthemum car
ried out the floral decor.
Chief Justice Earl Warren
and Mrs. Warren were among
the many dignitaries watch
ing the parade from the offic
ial grandstand.
E. L. Bartlett, senior sena
tor from the new state of
Alaska was parade grand mar
shal. San Carlos, Ariz. (UPD -Two
Indians were killed and eight
injured when dynamite, being
used to celebrate the arrival
of the New Year, destroyed a
frame home on the San Car
los Indian Reservation early
today.
American Officials Believe
May Bear Olive Branch on U.S. Visit
Washington - !UPD - Ameri
can officials said today they
would not be too surprised if
Soviet Deputy Premier Anas
tas I. Mikoyan is bearing an
olive branch when he arrives
in Washington next week.
It may be a well-concealed
peace offering but the impres
sion in official circles here is
that the 63-year-old confi
dente of Soviet Premier Niki
ta Khrushchev probably is
coming to feel out U.S. au
thorities on the possibility of
a deal on Berlin and other
German problems.
Mikoyan was expected to
see President Eisenhower and
Secretary of State John Fos
ter Dulles, although the Rus
sian Embassy and the State
Department said no definite
appointments have been made
as yet.
Information from behind
the Iron Curtain suggests
Noon
Edition
80 Homes Burned;
Other Mansions
Said Threatened
Winds Whip Blaze
Over 1 1 ,000 Acres
Los Angeles - (UPD - Two
wind-lashed brush fires raged
out of control today in the
Santa Monica mountains.
An estimated 80 homes had
been destroyed in Topanga
and Benedict canyons and
many expensive mansions be
longing to such celebrities as
Doris Duke, Marion Davies,
Barry Sullivan, Peter Lorrie
and Cameron Mitchell were
for a time threatened.
The fires were the third
and fourth to ravage southern
California within a month.
Many residents refused to
join the thousands of home
owners ordered by the fire
department to evacuate. They
showered their properties
with water hoses in a fight
against towering flames that
flashed as much as 150 feet
into the sky.
Keith Klinger, county fire
chief, said the Topanga blaze
was definitely started by an
arsonist. Cause of the Bene
dict Canyon blaze was unde
termined. Topanga Canyon, about 20
miles west of downtown Los
Angeles, was hardest hit and
fire was burning out of con
trol on a 25Tmile perimeter.
An estimated 11,000 acres al
ready were blackened in the
area along with 79 of the 80
structures reported destroyed.
Firemen Are Injured
Some 1,500 firemen battled
the two blazes while a squad
ron of planes "bombed" hot
spots with a water-borate so
lution in a desperate effort to
halt the fire's relentless
march.
At least eight firemen were
hospitalized with injuries.
Scores of others were treated
for smoke inhalation.
Firemen said the Benedict
Canyon blaze near Beverly
Hills was being contained but
was still dangerously out of
control in the adjacent can
yon of Beverly Glen. About
600 acres was reported black
ened in the two densely popu
lated canyons.
Winds up to 50 miles an
hour sent the blaze zipping
across the brush-studded hill
sides and canyon which all
week long had been sucked
dry by strong desert winds.
Other area schools were
used as shelters for the
evacuees and homeless. Fire
officials said it appeared that
most families forced to flee
were staying with friends or
relatives in other sections of
the city.
The Bel Air hotel, an ex
clusive hostelry where many
celebrities stay, was threat
ened for a while Wednesday
night when flames came with
in a half a mile in the Bene
dict Canyon area.
Also threatened was the
famous mansion of Mary
Pickford, Pickfair, along with
the mansions of Fred Astaire,
David O. Selznick, Tony
Curtis, Cary Grant, Kirk
Douglas, Ray Noble, Elizabeth
Taylor . and others.
Khrushchev may be seeking
some formula to get out of the
box in which he placed him
self by his Nov. 27 ultimatum
to the U.S., Britain and
France to get out of West
Berlin by June 1.
The Western Allies have re
jected his demand and have
made it clear they will fight
if necessary to stay in Berlin.
However, they have offer
ed to negotiate with Russia
on the Berlin question if it
is tied in with the broader
problems of German reuni
fication and European secur
ity. Mikoyan may be entrusted
with finding out whether the
American position is negoti
able, officials said. They
pointed out that the wily Ar
menian, who has survived 43
years of Communist politics,
would be a natural choice for
such a role.
"The Rebel Claims Are Greatly Exaggerated,
And That Shooting You Hear Is Just Static"
22 Persons Killed
In County in 1958
Twenty-two persons were
killed in Jackson county dur
ing 1958 in traffic accidents,
four less than the number
that died in highway acci
dents in 1957.
During the first eight
months of 1958 only eight per
sons had died in traffic acci
dents compared to 21 for the
same period in 1957. Fourteen
persons have died on the
county's highways since Sept.
18, 1958.
Twelve of the persons killed
were men, eight were women
and two were two-year-old
children. Four accidents this
year claimed eight lives com
pared to only three double
fatalities in the county last
year.
Among those killed in the
double fatalities were John
Barnett Named
Station Manager
Promotion of Jerold R.
Poulus to national sales man
ager for the network and of
Edward P. Barnett to general
manager of station KBES has
been announced by California
Oregpn Television, Inc.
The appointments were ef
fective today.
Poulus has been manager
of KBES, the firm's Medford
video facility, since 1955
while Barnett has been sales
manager for the station here
for more than five years.
In his new capacity Poulus
will serve all three stations
of California Oregon TV,
KIEM at Eureka, Calif., and
KOTI at Klamath Falls, as
well as KBES. His work will
involve travel to sales centers
at Los Angeles, San Fran
cisco, Seattle, New York,
Chicago and Portland. He will
be based here.
Poulus has been with the
parent firm for 13 years, start
ing as an engineer for radio
station KIEM in Eureka. He
was with KBES when it first
began operation in 1953 and
returned to Eureka as pro
gram manager for KIEM-TV
when it began telecasts a
short time later.
Barnett came to the Rogue
river valley . during World
War II and was stationed
with the 91st Infantry Divis
ion at Camp White. He was
manager of radio station
KWIN at Ashland from 1946
to 1951 when he was recalled
into the infantry.
Mikoyan
Washington officials noted
with interest that the Soviet
government has not yet told
the Russian people about Mi
koyan's planned visit to the
United States.
the assumption is that they
may be waiting to do so un
til they can connect it with
some news development
which will obscure the fact
that the Russians asked for
the visit
This would tend to play
down the fact that the Krem
lin sought permission for Mi
koyan's U.S. trip after Com
munist failures to dent the
Allied front at Quemoy and
in the Middle East, and after
Khruschev had gotten into an
untenable position on the Ber
lin crisis.
Mikoyan was expected to
arrive Sunday or Monday,
Soviet sources reported.
Edwin Smith, 30, of Portland,
and John Stanley Wilford,
50, of route 3, box 234, Med
ford, in a four-vehicle pile
up February 14, on Highway
99 near Phoenix. Minzie
Claude Seamon, 20, of 781 M
Beatty st., Medford, and Wil
liam H. Dunn, 28, of Empire,
were killed March 22 on
Highway 62 near Antelope
bridge, and Nov. 8, Frederick
Albert Kleinsmith Jr., 35, of
Detroit, Ore., and Flonnie
Marie Costa, 38, of 1689 Jack
son rd., Ashland, were killed
on Highway 99 at the foot of
Billings hill just north of Ash
land. The fourth accident to
claim two lives was the fol
lowing week end, when Mrs.
Hannah Dawson, 81, f t Se
attle, Wash., and her daugh
ter, Mrs. Hannah Jane Olson,
52, of Langley, were killed on
Highway 99 near Phoenix.
The two children to lose
their lives in accidents were
Cora Lee Ottosen, Eagle
Point, in a collision Sept. 17
on Highway 62 at the junction
of Highway 234 and Wilifred
Leo Moore Jr., Butte Falls,
who was killed Sept. 28 on
Butte Falls rd.
Two Pedestrians
The last two fatalities with
in the county were pedes
trians. Dec. 17 George Theo
dore Cook, 84, of 153 Granite
st., Ashland, was struck on
Highway 99 south of Phoenix
during a foggy night, and
Charles Johnson, 82, of Ash
land hotel, was killed Dec. 24
on East Main st. in Ashland.
Other fatalities during the
year in traffic incidents were
Mrs. Marma Jean Talbot, 27,
of route 1, box 130, Gold Hill,
who was killed in an accident
March 12, and Mrs. Dorothy
Aleene Williams, 29, of Pros
pect, who died following an
accident April 22 on Highway
62 south of Prospect.
Mrs. Sophie McClung, 78,
of Smith River, Calif., was
the state's only traffic fatal
ity during the long July 4
week end. She was killed in
an accident on Highway 66
near Lincoln.
George Potter, 79, of route
1, box 1, Gold Hill, was killed
July 26 near Gold Hill and
Mrs. Bessie Marjorie Smith,
37, of Klamath Falls, died in
Ashland Sept. 20 following
an accident on , Highway 66
near Tub Springs.
Motorcycle Accident
Ernest Lee Beer, 24, of 330
North Central ave., died Oct.
11 after his motorcycle failed
to make a curve on Highway
238, and Eugene Richard Tay
lor, 23, of 199 Mead st., Ash
land, was killed in an acci
dent on Highway 99, Oct. 13.
Mrs. Helen Adele Rose, 42,
of Fort Jones, Calif., was
killed Nov. 11 in Medford to
be the only traffic fatality
within the city this year.
Also killed in accidents
were Frank Collier Learning.
51, of 459 Grand st., Central
Point, on Highway 62 at
Eagle Point, on Nov. 29 and
Richard Carrol Smithson, 22,
of Portland, died Dec. 5 after
his automobile left Highway
62 near the Cascade Gorge
bridge.
First Fatality in
State Is Reported
Portland - (UPD - A woman
was killed in a traffic acci
dent here shortly before 6:30
a.m. today, the first report
ed 1959 fatality in Oregon.
The coroner's office iden
tified the victim as Barbara
Eaton, 27, Portland.
George Gibson, 39, suffer
ed a fractured leg in the ac
cident, police said.
Military Junta
Takes Over; Peace
Negotiations Seen
Judge Urrutia May
Be New President
Havana (UPD Wild mobs
surged through the streets
of Havana today, smashing
windows, looting and pil
laging. ( Hundreds of revolution
aries smashed the Hotel Se
villa casino 10 feet away
from the United Press In
ternational office.
The rebel militia fired
shots into the air to try to
break up the mobs. The ca
sino was virtually de
stroyed. Hundreds of demonstra
tors then swarmed through
the nearby Hotel Plaza and
smashed that casino.
Vandalism was rampant.
The last vestige of law
and order was rapidly disappearing.
Havana -(UPD-President Ful
gencio Batista fled the coun
try today, leaving behind a
nation in chaos and under
rebel threat of more violence
to come.
The rebels threatened a gen
eral strike unless Judge Man
uel C. Urrutia is named pro
visional president at once.
A military junta took over
in Batista's stead and both
junta and rebel sources indi
cated peace negotiations
would start immediately.
Newsmen at Camp Colum
bia heard rumors, without any
confirmation, that both sides
had issued cease-fire orders.
Scarcely had the news of
Batista's downfall spread
through Havana streets before
mobs attacked the Fifth Po
lice station in the heart of Ha
vana and freed an undeter
mined number of political
prisoners.
At Havana Prison, a fortress-like
structure overlook
ing the city, other political
prisoners rioted while hun
dreds of relatives milled
about outside the walls.
Accused of Brutalities
The Fifth Police station had
been under command of Lt.
Col. Estaban Ventura, one of
the top leaders who fled with
Batista. It was at the Fifth
station that political prisoners
underwent initial interroga
tion. Rebel sources charged
Ventura with many brutal
ities. Ciudad Trujillo reports said
Batista had reached there
with a party of 40 persons.
Rebel sources said rebel
leader Fidel Castro and Judge
Urrutia would arrive in Ha
vana at 10 a.m. (p.s.t.).
The rebel sources said that
a "civil mediation committee"
has been formed to try to
work out a formula for ending:
the civil strife.
A representative of former
President Prio Soccarras also
was expected in Havana to
day. The Batista government fell
apart with dramatic swiftness
before dawn. Shortly after 2
a.m., p.s.t., it was disclosed
that Batista and practically
all high civil and military au
thorities had fled Cuba in
three military airplanes.
Expected in Florida
Batista headed for Ciudad
Trujillo in the Dominican Re
public. Others, including
members of his family, flew
to Jacksonville, Fla., arriving
there this morning. The ulti
mate destination of the Ba
tista family was believed Day
tona Beach, Fla., where Ba
tista long has had a summer
home.
Gen. Eulogio Cantillo took
over leadership of the mili
tary junta which announced
that Senior Supreme Court
Justice Carlos M. P i e d r a
would be the stop-gap presi
dent. Cantillo said that Batista
had called his Army officers
in to Camp Columbia, Army
general headquarters, before
taking off this morning and
announced he was resigning
because he did not want fur
ther bloodshed.
Even as Batista fled, bitter
battles raged through the
three easternmost provinces
of Cuba-Las Villas, Camaguey
and Oriente. A major battle
was reported underway at
Santa Clara, capital of Las
Villas at Cuba's waist, with
heavy casualties on both sides.
Named to serve with Can
tillo on the military junta
were Piedra and Maj. Gen
Jose E. Pedraza. Later it was
reported that Pedraza had
been found inacceptable to
the army and that he also had
left the country. .
Quilcene, Wash. (UPD-Three
children died Wednesday
night when a fire of undeter
mined origin destroyed their
home here.