Gun Trick Backfires
1 A government automobile ipd Into Klamath Falli last night,
grim-faced bordor patrolman at the wheel. a dlttraoled young
woman by hit tide, and tht bullet-pierced body of man tlumped
over the ror loot, ....
Their arrival at Hlllilde hoipltil iUrltd in Investigation
which dliolosed the ttrange itory ol lh death ol C. A, Gunder
n. SB-yeer-old veteran air oorpt pilot, who turvlvad 17 monthi
In German prison camp to die In hli homo country oi gun
hot wound apparently unlntantlonally teltlnflloted.
aund.non, a mimbir oi tht bordar patrol at tha Tulalaka
WBA project, wai ahot at he tat In ear at Tulalaka lata yeeter
day with V6rn Lagar, 26, another bordar patrolman, and two
young women, ....
Lagar, who brought the body to Klamath Falli. told tha in
Yeitlgatort that Oundenen ihot hlmiel! In tha head while mm.
Ingly downing with hli gun In tha fashion oi tha tlckllih Gl
game called Huislan roulette,
Lagar'i itory, corroborated by tha two girl wltneuei, began
ol the two border patrolmen at Tulelake yeiter-
day afternoon. They were acquainted with the glrli, Evelyn
with
Hiii and Evelyn Nation, and picked them up In the car alter
tha glrla left the bank where they work.
They drove around a abort time and itopped In front of the
Lovely Lady beauty parlor, where Mlit Nelion had a beauty ap
pointment. Thoy iat In the car a few mlnutei. Lagar and Miii
Haai In tha lront teat, Oundersen and Mi Nelion In the rear.
Oundenen took hit 38 Colt revolver from the holtter and
placed three thellt In tha chambart, leaving three chamber!
empty.
Juit at Mlit Nelion wai preparing to leave the car,' ha laid
to hen
"Look, Had."
Placing tha gun agalntt hit' right temple, he pulled the trigger.
There wai a report and he loll over on the teat, the gun
under him.
The ttartled wltneuei of the act ruihed aoron tha ttraet to
the office oi Dr. Earl Spry, a chiropractor. Bpry advliad them,
Immediately to go for medical aid at Klamath Falli.
Leaving Mlit Nelion at Tulelake, Lagar and Mill Haai ttart
ed for Klamath Falli. They were not certain that Oundenen had
died until they reached tha hoipltal, where a mine called officer!
after gllmpiing the body. City Policeman Odell Olion, State
Policeman William Colbert, Deputy Sheriff Jack Franey and
Dr. George Adler, coroner, went to the hoipltal.
To Kill Tule Patrolman
Lagar at first objected to questioning, and It wai not until
the car with the body had been moved to the city police itatlon
that detail! of the tragedy were diicloied. Ivan Wllllami, officer
In charge of the immigration tervlce men at Tulelake, and J. P.
Swanaon, anlitant chief of the border patrol, came Immediately
to Klamath Falli.
Lagar apologized to the local officer!. Haling that ha wai
dlitracted and had not realiied fully what he wai doing.
He and Milt Haai gave corresponding statement! here, and
a similar itory wai related by Mill Nelson to officers at Tulelake.
Ivan Wllllami said ha wai latiified the shooting was acciden
tal. Oundenen, he said, ; apparently intended to click the gun
with one of the empty chambart ahead of the firing pin. A widely
reported wartime CI stunt was to place a shell In one chamber
of a revolver, spin the chambers, and pull tha trigger, the trick
being to stop the spinning cylinder with an empty chamber in
firing position.
The .38 Colt special uaed by Cunderten revolved to the right,
while some revolvers turn to the left. When Gunderten pulled
tha trigger, the turn to the right put the cartridge under the
firing pin. Had it turned to the left, an empty cylinder would
have been In place.
The itory Indicated that the two border patrolman had taken
liquor prior to their vlilt at Tulelake, and Oundenen may have)
become confuted at to the direction of the revolution oi tha
cylinder In hit gun.
Lagar tald that Gunderten on previous occailont had Jokingly
clicked hit empty gun at hia head.
Dr. Adler, after an autopsy today, tald that In hit opinion
Gundenen wai alive through molt of the trip to Klamath Fall
and died juit before he got to the hoipltal. Siskiyou county au
thorltlet have been notified and are participating In tha Invetti
gation.
Gundersen wat a B-17 pilot in the European theater, wat ahot
down over Europe, and imprltoned by the German!. Tha itory
of hli attempted eicapet from priton camp wat reported In th
papert upon hit return from Europe.
Hit home wat at Everett, Waih., and he wat a football playef
of contiderable fame. Hit mother. Mrt, G. E, Fliher, la novr
living in Portland.
Lagar'i home It at Nogalet, Arlt.
Gunderten had been in tha border patrol hare for about tin
weekt. He and Lagar ware clot personal friends.
liiil
By FRANK JENKIN8
IN congress tuduy, not unex
pectedly, tliuro a ro rumbling
of opposition to Truman's broad-for-Europo
proposal.
A Republican representative
from New York (Hull) Introduce
a bill to bun exports of foodatuffa
until it cun bo determined that
U. 8, consumers will bo assured
"their PRESENT amount of
WHITE bioud."
Alf M. London (u former Re
publican condldute for President)
utlnckt Morgenthiiu't ono-timo
"phut" lo pull Germany's war
teeth which, ho lays, Roosevelt
bequeathed to Truman. Ho terms
tho Moriieiitluiu plun "cruel and
inhuman,"
And io on.
TPIIE Morgenthnu "plan" con
I, tumplated b r e n k-un of
Germany on an 'INDUSTRIAL
nnllon and her ultimate reduc
tion to a more or lent purely agri
cultural economy.)
THERE It a heated London
Morgcnlhau apat,
London charges: "It It ilily and
criminal to bo on pursuing thlit
Morgenthnu plan, becouto it It nn
utter failure"
Morgenthnu retorts: "He (Lan
don) should buy a copy of my
book and read it. He obviously
doesn't know what he'i talking
about."
WELL, WHO DOES?
Destroying Germany's pow
er and WILL to mako war with
out upsetting Europe's delicately
balanced economy and so mak
ing a bad mess worso is quite' a
problem.
So far as this writer knows,
even London's great brain hasn't
yet produced a sure-fire solution.
f.nOOD la short In Europe. -
i r Land and buildings there art
K relatively undamaged, but form-
N ers are critically short of Imple
ments, fertilizer, seen, transport,
etc. ABOVE ALL ELSE, they
lock tho INCENTIVE to go ahead
and produce what they can.
They are afraid of the
MONEY. They fear that If they
(lo produco they won't bo able to
sell. Thcro Is practically NOTH
ING they havo confidence In.
In that frame of mind, they sit
tight and plan to grow Just
enough to feed themselves. In
' their place, you and 1 wouldn't
be much different. Human na
ture Is human nature.
IN all this mess, there Is a
STERN LESSON for us right
here In Amcrlco. Wo arc begin
ning to get a good, straight look
at what LACK OF PRODUC
TION, due largely to luck of In
centive to work and produce, can
do to a notion even os grcot and
as relatively undamaged as ours.
SENATOR THOMAS, chairman
of the scnato agricultural
commlttco and a Democrat from
Oklahoma, tosses a word or so
of wisdom into tho boiling
POLITICAL pot.
Ho says this morning:
"I don't think anybody In this
country will bo hurt by eating
wholo wheat bread for a whllo."
THAT Is true both physically
and psychologically.
Dieticians havo long been tell
ing us the fluffy WHITE bread
we Insist on is an emasculated
food, short of a lot of the fun
damental elements wo need. (In
Asia, for example, the FAD for
polished rice is a prevalent cause
of bcrl-borl.)
It will do our souls no harm to
accept at least OUR SHARE of
tho world's troubles. If wo stand
opart, with our noses in the air
and on our lips the words of the
Pharisee: "I thank thee, Lord,
that I am not as these othors,"
something precious that has been
an essential part of tho spirit of
America will be GONE.
Todd Hearing
Set Next Week
Preliminary hearing for Clyde
Edward Todd, SP railroad pa
trolman held in the county jail
for second degree murder, will
be conducted In justice court
Wednesday, February 13, at
10:30 a. m. , -
Todd has been in jail since
January 25, when Ross Simmers,
Pacific Fruit Express employe,
died 'as tho result of a bullet
wound received after what wit
nesses termed a "friendly scuf
fle" with Todd.
The shooting occurred In an
office shack in the SP yards.
Todd has told his attorney, J. C.
O'Neill, that tho shooting was
accidental, No ball is admitted
in a second degree murder
charga in Oregon. ,
ft
IB
Telephone 8111
WEATHER NEWS
Max. (Feb. 7) 35 Min. (Feb. 8) 1
Precipitation last 24 hours 00
Stream year to date .....9.61
Normal . 7.11 Latt year 8.55
Forecast: Clear Saturday.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1846
Number 10740
Picket Line
Smashed By
Policemen
Officers Wield Clubs
To Clear Path For
Bus Drivers
By The Anoclated Press
Their path cleared by club
wicldlng policemen, six trol
leys and four buses broke
through picket lines at Lancas
ter, Pa., again today as volun
teer drivers led by former sol
diers attempted to contlnuo
service on the strike-beset Con
catogu Transportation company
lines.
Elsewhere, however, the la
bor picture appeared brightest
in weeks. An casing of several
major disputes, Including the
vast steel strike, appeared Im
minent. Partial transit service was re
stored at Lancaster yesterday
when five trolleys broke
through picket lines and oper
ated under police protection. A
strike of AFL bus and trolley
driven Wednesday and a sep
arate walkout of taxi drivers
had left more than 200,000 per
sons without any form of public
transportation, ;
t, . Shoutt Of Scab ! ;
""Slioul Of ''scab'-! -greeted - the
volunteer drivers again -today
a the cars and busea rolled
from the company barn. -i -
As work stoppages through
out the country left Idle a near
all-time high of more :. than
1,400,000, the labor picture in
dicated: -
Possible settlement of the 19-day-old
strike of 73,000 CIO
steel workers which also has
mado Idle more than 100,000
workers In allied industries.
An end of the strike by 3300
tugmen in New York which
has tied up the city's harbor
and sharply reduced fuel and
food supplies.
Possible approval by one
union of a federal fact finding
board's proposal for a 16 cents
an hour wage Increase for meat
industry production workers.
Cancellation of a scheduled
two-hour work stoppage in met
ropolitan New York by the
Greater New York CIO council
in support of striking Western
Union employes.
End Of Steel
Strike Sought
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (P)
President Truman today can
celed his planned vacation in
Florida as government and labor
officials strove to bring a quick
end to the 10-doy-old steel strike.
A formal White House state
ment mentioned only "tho imme
diate critical situation Involving
problems requiring his personal
attention" as tho reason for the
cancellation,
White House aides, however.
told reporters that tho labor
crisis and the related wage-price
policy question were invol
the decision.
Price Ceilings
For Homes OK'd
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 P)
rne nouse banking committee
approved today emergency hous
ing legislation providing for
price ceilings on new homes and
for continuance of government
allocation of scarce building
materials.
Tho committee struck from
the bill all-authority to put price
ceilings on 40,000,000 existing
dwellings, and removed a sec
tion specifically providing for
subsidies, to spur production of
building material.
The vote was 13 to 9.
' Arriving In
Untied States
Floyd L. Johnton, Capt.,
Klamath' Falls, arrived on
Botly Zone duo In Now York
February 4.
Doomed Yukon On Alaskan Coast
rS- vi r : vS
-y -. vki -n
I
v..
0 te kt
Pauley Tiff
May Force
kites Out
President Sides With
Choice For No. 2
Boss Of Navy .
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 VP)
President Truman's determina
tion to stick to his choice of Ed
win C. Pauley as No. 2 boss of
the navy spurred congressional
speculation today that Secretary
Ickes soon might quit.
A number of legislators won
dered privately whether Ickes'
position might become untenable .
as the result of Mr. Truman's ac
tion in seemingly siding with '
Pauley against his secretary of
ine interior in the year's hottest
political dispute.
icKes mmseli brushed aside
reporters' queries on the point
with a terse, "1 haven't anything
io say.
As an aftermath of Mr. Tru
man's news conference com
ments on the Pauley-Ickes dis
pute, administration lieutenants
who declined use of their names
said the White House asked them
to go down the line to what
many think is certain defeat for
the Califoraian's appointment to
be undersecretary of the navy.
"No-Confidence"
Some senators said they
thought Ickes might regard the
reported White House request as
a "no-confidence" signal.
Ickes and Pauley are at odds
about a conversation between
the two in Ickes office Septem
ber 4, 1944. Ickes, terming it
"the rawest proposition ever
made to me," said Pauley sug
gested $300,000 in democratic
campaign contributions could be
raised from interested oil men
if they could be assured the
, government wouldn't try to) win
title .Jef oft-shore oil lands-,nOw
claimed by the states.
Pauley, former democratic na
tional treasurer, said Ickes was
"mistaken," that he didn't ask
for any .'contingent contribu-
uons, .
This air view thowt forepart of pattenger liner Yukon hard on rockt ol
Alatka coast some 40 miles from Seward. Barely dlscernable on top deck ara
tome of the 496 survivors. The coast guard reported all pattengeri and crewmen
were safely removed. Army and navy boatt-look the survivors off. (Associated
press photo from U. S, army air forces)."
Harrowing Hours Aboard Yukon Related By Woman
(Editor's Note: The following graphic description
of the steamship Yukon wreck wat obtained from
Mrt. Gllliard- Sherin of Anchorage, who with her
husband and son. wat en route to make a new home
in Clinton, Waih.)
By MRS. GILLIARD SHERIN
SEWARD, Alaska', Feb. 8 W) The sea was very
rough and my baby (5-ycar-old Michael Sherin)' had
been violently ill for several hours. I was talking to
him when suddenly: wo felt a light rip. A heavier
rip followed, then a third, still heavier.
The ship shuddered. - :
I jumped up, dressed Mike and then helped dress
my husband, who was also ill. I put a heavy parka
on the boy, one on myself and then adjusted our life
belts. ' ' . , w
I grabbed a camera ' and an extra coat an'd we
rushed up on deck.' Scores of passengers were
crowding the deck, among them a soldierdressed
In an undershirt and a woman clad only - in her '
night gown.' u -
Some men unfastened a lifeboat. . Just .then a
huge wave washed over the dock, carrying the boat
with it, and mashing it against the .ship. One man
was cut by the boat and several narrowly missed
being crushed.
The wave knocked us down. I threw myself on
top of Mike, and ray husband shielded us both with
his body. 1
Crew members launched another boat. It filled
with water and capsized. ' A third attempt also failed
with the front end of a boat resting on two rocks.
I was told- that the captain, after feeling the first
rip, . ordered the ship full speed; ahead to wedge it
firmly In the rocks. j ";' , . .
The back end began to crack and finally split,
At least one passenger jumped from the back portion
of the ship to the front. : '
Water was pouring into the; dining room, but
crew men managed to bring out; oranges and candy
bars. ;;' ;.
We went to an abandoned cabin In the fore part
of the ship and remained there several hours. Later,
we went to the rail where a group' of passengers
were gathered.
Booms were swaying above our heads. My hus
band guided us back toward the cabin. Seconds
later, a gigantic wave washed over the spot -where,
we had been standing..';' .. i-i1 ;iVi ., ; . . ,
It swept the ' passengers into the sea. Like a
nightrnare. I watched them. .. It was as though they
were in a ' scene in a movie.. v " :.
I counted seven heads in a 'row. ; Then my eyes
centered on one man. ' He was being swept into
the rocks. . He was fighting desperately for his life
in the debris-cluttered water. He swam frantically,
pushing it away with his hands.' '
. He reached a rock and started to climb out but
was swept back into the sea. ( Then on the crest
of another wave, he and one other man were dashed
up on a rock again They clung there weakly.
With my heart in my mouth, I watched three
other men climb out of the sea on the rocks.
." All night they stayed there, crying piteously for
help, which did not come till morning.
. I saw one other man saved. He was in. the water
for minutes when a soldier risked his life to rescue
.him. : After tying a rope around his waist, this GI
jumped in and grabbed him. Both were hauled to
safety. .' ' ,-":",''.'.
A -. The waves continued to wash the deck. Three
hit us before we could escape. My husband grabbed
an iron post and held it, shielding Mike and me
from the force' of the water with his body, v ' The
water was up to my knees and my clothes were
soaked. - ' - '
The back end of the vessel was swaying violently.
The front end,, heavy with the machinery, appeared
' to be secure.. ; . '' V! ;:',,'
, When the waves subsided the coast guard sent a
motor launch-and another. small boat to take the
children off. :-'t- . . ;.; .,'','. ;'-:. .V;"'
All except Joan; Taylor, 11,' and a' 14-yearld boy
.were sent over the side. A.few women' were al
lowed to accompany them. - ' - . ' .
I thought my heart would break when my little
boy was taken from me. I didn't know if I'd ever,
see him again. ,-
(Editors' Note: Mr. and Mrt. Sherin returned to
' Seward yesterday aboard tha USS Curb. Mr. Sherin
tpent the night on tha beach. Mrt. Sherin. after a
few hours' rest worked as a nurse aboard tha Curb,
attending tha Injured.)
Scribe Says 'Lindy' Flew
50 Missions Against Japs
NEW . YORK, Feb. 8 (P) .'
Col. Charles MacDonald relates
In the current issue of Collier's
magazine how Charles A: Lind
bergh, whilb a civilinn aircraft
observer, downed a Jap plane.
Lindbergh' the writer, says,
flew SO fighter pilot missions
against the Japanese while an
observer for tho United Aircraft
corp.
Recalling the events of tho day
Lindbergh scored his kills, Mac
Donald said that after two P-38s
exhausted their ammunition try
ing to down a Sonla typo Jap
craft, he, Lindbergh and a Ma
jor Danny Miller, arrived at the
scene.
MacDonald and Miller, also
flying P-38s mado "passes" at
tha enemy and missed.
The article then continues: !
.' This was - Lindbergh's first
sight of a Jap plane in the air,
and there he was, closing head
on, with their combined speeds
close to 600 miles per hour, :
"For moments which seemed
like years, the antagonists came
at each other. .Lindbergh's can
non and machine gun bullets jolt
ed Into the Jap. His slight ad
vantage in height prompted him
to try to go over the Jap. He
pulled back the stick with all
his strength. The badly hit en
emy tried for a crash.
"As Lindbergh's plane started
up, tho Jap, too, pulled up vio
lently. He was too late, Tho two
missed by a narrow margin, The
Sonla -rolled over like a broken
toy and began a long dive that
ended in the sea,"
Chief Spurns
Clemency Plea
WASHINGTON, Feb. - 8: (P)rr
President Truman today spurned
a plea, for clemency . from Lt.
Gen. Yamashita, Japanese mili
tary leader condemned ;to death
for atrocities. - - ' j j
The president's decision- ; to
take no' action ' on Yamashita's
last-minute petition left the gen
eral's fate to Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur, war department officials
said.' MacArthur, Yamashita's
adversary in - the Philippines'
campnign,.- already has upheld
the sentence imposed by a mili
tary commission. ,
White House Press Secretary
Charles G. Ross told reporters
the president had informed Sec
retory of War Patterson of his
decision shortly alter, noon to
day. . . ,. , ...... ..!..; ..
Army Completes Plans For
Bringing Home War II Dead
SAN FRANCISCOj Feb. 8 (iP)'
The army has completed detailed
plans for bringing .home Amer
ica's World War II dead begin
ning this spring, if congressional
authorization is granted, the San
Francisco Chronicle said today.
The Chronicle said its informa
tion was based on official but
unrestricted plans. The paper
. did not disclose , the source of
its information, except to state
the information was contained in
documents now being submitted
to high war department officials
for final approval. ;
A bill' dealing with return of
war dead has passed the house
and now is before the senate
military affairs' committee.
Other points included in the
Chronicle story:
The dead will be - returned
from 454 sites in 86 countries
and islands.
' New York will be the major
receiving point for dead from
Europe and the Atlantic area;
San Francisco for those from the
Pacific area.
The first burial ship is sched
uled to leave San Francisco
Anril 1 and thereafter one ship
a month will leave both San
Francisco and New York. '..
The project is expected to
take at least 18 months.
Cost of the brolect has been
unofficially estimated at $500,-
000.00U. . f
If next of kin desire, the dead
will be left where they are now
buried.
FEPC Backers
Admit Defeat
WASHINGTON. Feb. 8 UP
The success of the FEPC fili
buster was conceded generally
today.
Even ardent backers nf the fair
employment practice commission
legislation acknowledged pri
vately they had lost their fight
to bring the measure to a final
senate vote.
The formal verdict will be
forthcoming tomorrow. The sen
ate has agreed to vote then on a
motion to limit FEPC debate, but
supporters ef the bill admittedly
cannot muster the two-thirds ma
jority necessary to put across the
so-called "gag-rule"' and thus en
sure a quick vote on the legisla
tion.
Lumberjack Dies
In Hotel Blaze
ST. MARIES. Idaho Fih.
(JP) One man died today in a
fire which destroyed the C&M
hotel and damaged or threatened
other business buildings.
uoroner naipn . wessa said
the body of Carl Lundt, 75-year-old
lumberjack - was recovered
from the ruins. - -
Dave Adjukovlc, one of -the
owners of the hotel, was awaken
ed by the smoke and roused most
of the dozen residents. Wessa
said he was unable to get into
the section where Lundt lived.
Lundt, the coroner said, appar
ently suffocated before flames
reached the room.
Some of the residents told of
having to crawl along the floor
to avoid suffocation as they
fled the building. None saved
their possessions and some were
lightly clad as they ran out into
the freezing weather. -
KF Thermometers
Show One Above
Weekend ' motorists -were
warned to travel with caution on
the mountain highways as roads
continued to be hazardous as the
result of the mid-week storm.
Thermometers in Klamath
Falls registered an official one
degree above zero this morning
but it was much colder elsewhere
in the area.-
Sun mountain' patrol on The
Dalles-California highway ad
vised 6 below zero as did Quartz
mountain station. It was 2 above
on the Greensprings and 3 above
at Odell, with the all-state mini
mum recorded at Lapine where
the mercury slipped to 14 below
zero.