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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 1960)
6 A MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOHD, ORE. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1960 Eagle Point Residents Recall Bombing of Coventry in 1940 Twenty yean ago today tin English Industrial city of Cov entry was nearly wiped off the map by a horde of German bombers. The raid aroused the wrath of free peoples around the world at no other act of World War II had done be fore. For 11 solid hours,' from dusk until dawn, wave upon wave of German planes bomb ed the city. Nothing was spared. Homes, hospitals, churches, schools all were targets. When the planes at last flew back to their bases in France, they left behind them some 2,000 dead, scores more injured and incredible de struction. They also left be hind them a new word Cov entrated. The bombing has not been forgotten, least of all by two persons now living In Eagle Point. Kenneth Nelmes and his sister, Mrs. Jack (Paulino) Medina, were among the 250, 000 citizens of Coventry who took cover in basements and shelters away from the bombs on the night of Nov. 14, 1940. Ken and his sister came to the United States In 1948. He is married, has six children, and is an ad compositor at the Mail Tribune. Mrs. Medina is a housewife. Returned From Store Ken was 13 at the time of the raid on Coventry. He had just returned from a corner grocery store near his home, when the first of the bombs started to fall. The raid came without warning, but the Nelmes fam ily was nevertheless prepared. Having had prior experiences with lesser raids, the family of 15 were In the habit of spending their evening and Top Dry Starts with this You may never see this quality rating sheet, but vou can see and feel the difference in our Sanitonc Dry Cleaning ' when the finished garment it delivered. That's because every garment lhat goes through our plant is carefully inspected and checked against these quality rating points to mnko ' sure that your clothes always come back clean as new . . , looking snd feeling as soft and fresh as the day you bought thorn. Try our Sanitone service today and make your own quality check. JJ,',, H. D. CHRISTENSEN 601 E. Main St. night hours in the basement of their three-story home. The basement doubled' as an' air-raid shelter. It was stocked with food and water and contained the family's beds during the war. When the first or the planes flow over the city .the family was already In the basement. Enormous Explosions Ken said they know from the start the raid -would be a bad one because , of tho "enormous" explosions. . All sizes and types of bombs were used in the raid, By Germany's own estimates the number of planes over the city at any one time was never less than 300. All members of the Nelmes family came through the raid unscathed. Many of their friends and neighbors, how ever, were not quite so fortu nate. Several of them were killed. , Although much of the sur rounding area was destroyed, the Nelmes home wus not se riously damaged, But, the store that Ken had left just 15 minutes earlier, was the site of a direct hit. Ken said both tho store owner and his wife were among the dead. Was the Nelmes family scared during the raid? Not particularly, according to Ken. Although they could tell at the beginning the raid would be far the worst, the family had become used to the many lesser raids and knew pretty much what to expect. Went To Bed Ken himself went to bed promptly at 10 o'clock and slept through most of the raid. Recalling that night, Ken said "Everyone had the same feel ing about the bombs. If your name is on it you'll gel it; if it isn't don't worry. Cleaning Rating Sheet Free Parking . Right at the Door Ph. SP 2-9169 I we were nervous, sure, but not ufraid. It was kind 'of like the feeling that one gets 'when he crosses a strcot dur ing heavy traffic." Ken said most of the people were more seared for their friends and relatives than they were for themselves. Ken thinks there are seve ral reasons why tho Germans mounted such a devastating attack against Coventry that night, One is that the Germans were retaliating for an Eng lish raid several months ear lier on (he German city of Munich. Adolf Hitler had been in the midst of a speech at the time, and was probably not too happy about it, Ken said. Another reason is that the Germans wanted to destroy the industrial potential of Cov entry. Coventry was then, and still is, considered the "De troit of England," as it Is the center of English automobile production. Ken's father worked in the Humber Motor company plant. War Materials At the time, however, these plants were turning out tanks and airplane parts for ' the war effort. In addition, much of the manufacture of war materials was being done on a lesser scale in homes and small shops scattered through out the city. "This would explain the in discriminate bombing by the German planes. Ken said. In order to wipe out the war- making potential of the city they would have to wipe out the city Itself. The Germans nearly did wipe it out too but not quite. Even while the bombs fell, the factories continued on their 24-hour-a-day produc tion schedule. Only when -a factory was rendered useless by the bombs would produc tion stop. Many persons were In the streets during the entire raid, helping in rescue operations and attempting to extinguish the many fires raging through the city. Ken's father and several of his older brothers were among them. Needed Water When the bombs stopped, the city began rebuilding. The most immediate need was Water. Mrs. Medina recalls that she and two other mem bers of the .family walked three miles to get water the next day. They carried it In a tub. Again on April 8 and April 10, the Germans bombed the city with equal fervor. When the raids were over, Ken said, the only thing In Coventry that was not damaged or de stroyed was the spirit of the people themselves. He said that no matter how bad things got, and they got prefty bad, the people of Coventry did not once even consider ca pitulating to the Germans. Ken adds that this feeling was common throughout England. The destruction of the famed medieval cathedral at Coventry was one of the things which caused world wide revulsion against the German raids. It has now been largely rebuilt, In part with donations from all parts of the world. Many other cities In Eng land, and elsewhere, were heavily bombed during tho war, but the merciless de struction of Coventry has not been forgotten, least of all by its citizens and the two eye witnesses living in Eagle Point. Eugene Man Heads Oregon Heallh Group Dr. William Burke, direc tor of Health and Physical Education for the Eugene pub lic schools, was elected Satur day as president of the Ore gon Association of Health Physical Education and Rec reation at the association's an nual convention. Burke succeeds Dr. Hexter Turner. Mary Seymour, In structor of physical education at Oregon State, was chosen as president-elect for the com ing year and will succeed Burl.e as state president next year. Dallas Boy Hurt By Homemade Bomb Dallas - HOT- A 14-year-old Dallas boy suffered first and second degree burns when a home made bomb exploded in his pocket here Saturday. The boy, Molvin Berg, was taken to a Dallas hospital where his condition was de scribed as good. Authorities said the explo sive was a mixture c! black gun powder and speculated that the explosion was set off by body heat. TANNERY HEAD DIES Newton, Mass.-illPD - Joseph Kaplan, 62, president of the Colonial Tanning Company of Boston, died Sunday. fm'iMi swjv 4ifnnm m wp Tb lMnw4 ' 'u.-mzr-A. , laMaslli.s1 WT1II Tl ri i "T-- t t ' ii - I mv. , a AltV 1 ,., f?J0 ' 1 KENNEDY APPOINTEES President-elect John F. Kennedy has begun construction of his new administration by announcing that he will retain Allan V. Dulles, top center, as head of the Central Intelligence Agency and J. Edgar Hoover, top right, as director of the FBI. Also named were Ted Sorenson, top ECidnap-Killer of Girl, 14, Sought In Ohio, Indiana Paulding, Ohio - IUPD - Au thorities in Ohio and Indiana today hunted for the "man in a big car" who kidnaped and killed a 14-year-old girl Sun day. The only clues the officers had were provided by the 4-year-old sister of the victim. It was a man in a big car who got my sister;" sobbed little Shcrrtll Eaglcson who was just beginning to realize the awful truth that her sister had been killed. ' Sherrill and Nancy went to a movie Sunday afternoon while their parents were at work in this small northwest ern Ohio village. Afterward they stopped at a restaurant for a soft drink and then start ed walking to their home five blocks away. A man stopped his car and offered the girls a ride home but they refused. A man In a big car grab bed my sister and shoved her Into the car," the little girl told authorities. Sherrill knew something was wrong and ran as fast as she could to the home of John Larson, a neighbor who often served as babysitter for the girls while their parents were at work. Larson phoned Sheriff John Keller who mobilized all the officers he coitld In this vil lage of 2,300 population near the Ohio-Indiana line. 'I i s three-man department, the vil lage police and two highway patrolmen soon were combing the area. Chief of Police At Portland, Dies Portland -HJPD- Portland Po lico Chief William J. HUbrun er, 50, died of a heart attack at his home Saturday night. Hilbruner, who would have completed 24 'years with the Portland police department Thursday, w a s pronounced dead on arrival at Good Sa maritan hospital. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. Paul's Lutheran church. Hilbruner, born in Portland May 5, 1010, and appointed to the department in 1936, was named police chief Jan. 2 1037, by Portland Mayor Ter ry Schrunk. He is survived by his wid ow, Margaret, and three chil dren. Schrunk named Deputy Chief Dave Johnson as the city's acting police chief. Portland Ice Show Attracts 119,592 Portland -UPI'-The 60 per formances of the Holiday on Ice show at Portland's new Memorial coliseum drew 119, 502 persons, according to fig ures released Sunday. The show opened Nov. 3 and closed Sunday. The 10 day show grossed $306,017. The Columbia Basin Exhi bition and Trade Fair, which also opened Nov. 3, drew 43, 138 persons. 0"ii, r' 7 -iL.wr! ' 4.. r . , Witt 1 Wt V jr... - a tou, o i f w The offlcors had little to go on, only the little girl's report of "the man in the big car." Throughout the night peo ple in the area joined in the search in this flat country. Body Discovered 1 At 2:30 a.m. two men out hunting racoons found the body just off County Road 176. They were Joseph C. Av france, 38, and Kenneth W. Nelson, 43, both of Paulding.' The sheriff Indicated there was no evidence of a struggle at the place where the slain girl was found. The'body was taken to the St. Joseph hos pital in Fort Wayne, Ind., for an autopsy. The father of the children works day and night, working nights as a helper in the local bowling alley. He broke down when he heard that his daugh ter was dead. Doctors gave him sleeping pills. The girls' mother, Betty, works In a drive-In restaurant and was not at home while the children were at the movie. "You rea about this sort of thing happening but you nev er think that it will happen to you," she sobbed. K: 4 1 Quotes From the News BY UNITED PRESS Hollywood Negro entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., on his marriage to Swedish actress "Im silly happy." Palm Beach, Fla. Presiden-elect Kennedy's press secre tary, Pierre Salinger, on what Kennedy wants to meet with vice President Richard M. Nixon: "First, the senator wants dent on me campaign he conducted. And second, he wants to resume cordial relations which existed between them during their 14 years in Congress." . ' Hamilton, Ont. Mrs. Alice Arbour, 84-year-old widow who forgot to bring her baseball bat to bed with her for the first time in four years and then found a burglar in her room "I just let out a couple of screams and he ran like a deer.' Washington Rep. Chester Bowles, (D-Conn.), recommend ing patience In American relations with Cuba: "I do not think the Cuban in iB83 oniy to accept Soviet 17 pwpytTf,l r n fa- - 1 t. 2 ft left, as special counsel to the president; Pierre Salinger, lower right, as press secre tary, and Ken O'Donnell, lower center, as special assistant. Named also was Clark Clifford, lower left, who will work with President Eisenhower's people in coordinat ing plans for transfer of administration. (UPI Telephoto) Conference To Air Problem of Taxes Salem-IUPD-The State Tax commission said today that this year's biennial tax con ference to acquaint Oregon lawmakers and others with current tax problems will be held Friday on the Univer sity of Oregon campus in Eugene. Co-sponsors are the com mission and the university's economics department. The sessions will be in the Erb Memorial Student Union. Speakers will include all three members of the tax commission, and Dr., William C. Jones, acting president of the university. ' ' The afternoon will be de voted to a panel on "a tax program for Oregon for 1961," moderated by State Rep. Clar ence Barton (D-Coquillo) chairman of the legislative in terim tax committee. Willamette University Dormitories Dedicated Salem-tUPII-Two new wom en's dormitories at Willamette university were dedicated Sunday. They are Emily J. York house and Lucy Anna Lee house. York house was named aft er Wilamette's first graduate, 101 years ago, and Lee house was named for the daughter of the school s founder, Jason Lee. I INTERNATIONAL May Bntt: to congratulate the vice presi people threw off Spanish rule rule in 1961." WE'LL BE OPEN TOMORROW!!! Remodeling is nearly completed in all departments! Father Drowns Boys in River Oregon City-OJPD-A father was drowned Sunday night while trying to save two boys stranded on an island in the Clackamas river a mile above Clackamas. The boys were rescued. Sheriff's officers said Law rence Johnson, Clackamas, was pulled under in the swift current of the rising river while towing one boy to safety with a rope. The two boys were Identi fied as Glen Johnson, 13, son of the missing man, and Wil liam Youngblood, 13, Olym pia, Wash. Search Resumes i A search resumed at day light today for Johnson's body, Sheriff's officers said it was called off Sunday night because of stormy conditions. The two boys were trapped on the island when discov ered by Johnson and Emil Youngblood, father of the other boy. Water had been re leased from dams upstream, causing the stream to rise. Swept Off Feet , Johnson got a rope and was pulling the Youngblood boy to shore when the current swept both off : their feet. When officers arrived they told the Johnson Boy to stay on the Island. The Youngblood boy was found clinging to a tree limb. ... , Johnson and Youngblood were brothers - in - law. The Youngbloods were visiting over the week end. Parade Awards To Reservists, Crater The Naval Reserve Elec tronics division Medford was judged the best in the Veter ans' day parade Friday for the first place award of a $50 savings bond, according to Charles J. Myers, parade chairman. . The second award of a $25 savings bond will be awarded to Crater High school band. The Naval Reserve division, under the command of Lt. R. A. Schuchard, had about 35 reservists marching In the pa rade.. The parade contained ap proximately 50 units repre senting all branches of the armed services, veterans' or ganizations, marching bands, fraternal organizations and law agencies. Judges- for the event were County Judge Earl Miller and Commissioner Chester Wendt. Parade marshal- was Maj. Gen.- William F. Dean. Tourists, Industry Object of Promotion Medford Chamber of Com merce will spend $13,350 for advertising and promotion this year, according to, a re port from the research depart ment of the Curtis Publishing company. Oregon's state and munici pal development organizations will. spend a total of $421,717 to attract vacationers and tourists. Of the amount to be spent by the Medford chamber, $6,840 will promote vacation and tourist trade and $6,510 to attract industry. The Med ford chamber is the only or ganization in the state which has budgeted .funds to attract industry, the report shows.. The report stated that a fact not generally recognized by many persons is that tourist expenditures benefit virtually every segment of a commu nity's economic life. HITLER AIDE DIES , Dusseldorf, Germany-WPD-Erns't Wllhelm Bohle, 57, or ganizer of Hitler's worldwide "Fifth Column," died here last week in obscurity, it was learned Sunday. The former SS general handled the Job of turning overseas Germany communities into active Nazi spy and sabotage units during World War II. Miami Climate Declared Too WarmTo Mlaml-flJPD-Pollce Sgt. M. M. Ogle couldn't really be blamed if he did just that. Everyone else did. And bridgetender E. E. Currey knew something was wrong because Saturday afternoon traffic was crawling In stead of rushing across his drawbridge over the Miami river in the city's downtown section. Currey poked his head out of the tender's house to look for the bottleneck. He saw drivers and passengers, some of their heads out of car windows, looking toward the south end of the bridge. Currey looked, too. A pretty young brunette, completely nude, was strolling toward him. Currey looked again to make sure, then ducked back Inside theho'use and called police. They told him to stop the" woman, Currey stepped out on the bridge walkway and nervously approached her. Ship Calls for Bridge Lift . "Say, girl, are you lost?" Currey asked. "Yes," she replied. "I'm looking for my hotel." "Say," Currey questioned, "did you lose your clothes?" "No," the woman said. "Why?" Just then an approaching ship blew its horn for Currey to raise the bridge. He went back Into the house' for a moment and when he came out again the woman was saun tering down the north end of the bridge. Two police squad cars, led by St. Ogle, arrived a few minutes later. They questioned Currey and others. One driver described the woman as "about 36-25-35" and he was sure of his description because he had gone around the block three times to be positive. To Hospital for Examination Ogle and his men hurried on. They found the woman about two blocks from the bridge. Ogle enveloped her in a blanket, put her in the squad car and look her to Jackson Memorial hospital for examination. Checking back, Ogle found the woman had started her stroll about a block south of the bridge. A waitress in a bar said the woman came in fully clothed and asked for a glass of water. The woman took a pill, drank the water, and went into the ladles room. She came out nude and left the bar. Attendants at the hospital said the woman gave her name as "Mary" and her age as "16." She said she was from New Jersey. They quoted her as saying Miami "was Just too hot to wear clothes." RCA VICTOR AND STEM'S Present Two New Stereo Portables The MARK 38 Model VP38 9995 Budget-Priced Total-Sound Stereo High-Fidelity Portable "Vidrola" Three speakers, Including two Total-Sound swing-out, detachable speakers Powerful amplifier Automatic 4-Speed record changer Stereo balance control Available In CharcoalWhite The Mark 33 Model VP33-$1 49.95 Deluxe Tolaf-Sound Stereo High-Fidellty Portable "Victrota" Three speakers, including two Total-Sound swing-out, detachable speakers Powerful amplifier Automatic 4-Speed record changer Diamond stylus Available in GreenGrey, GreyTon TIME PAY PLAN IF DESIRED LAY-AWAY now Wear Clothes ritu7tftt 4 1
