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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1960)
I PAGE 4 A f HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls. Ore. Sunday. Marclyfi, I960 00 o FT V jR : MA W "I said, 'THAT TOY IS BATHER NOJSY, ISN'T ITZi" a Behind Pawn Lurk Comedy By MICHAEL FRANK SWEENEY Ever get in a temporary finan- - eial jam and had to "put the bite" on your "uncle" for a temporary loan until the goose would be hang ing high again? Now, by "uncle" we don't mean your "Uncle Sam" or a blood rel ative what we mean by. "un- cle" in this case is the gent who is the major domo ot the thou- - sands ol pawnshops, or "hock (hops" which flourish throughout . the-United States. down" on the pawnshop business - right here in Klamath Kails, the? writer Friday morning called on the proprietors of the two shops in operation here.JSy the time he coit eluded the interview, he left "bug eyed" at the onc-thousand-and-one things he had seen, and he had learned more about psychol ogy and philosophy than he thought possible. The newsman also learned about lome'of the idiosyncrasies of the American public, and he was also to learn, but not to his surprise, that pawnbrokers in general, do not have ice-water flowing through . thci veins, and that in 'the tinal analysis, they are not "h u m a n , leeches," but human beings. He had hardly identified himself - to Roland Cofcr, proprietor of Co- fer's Exchange, when Cofe'r looked him squarely in the eye and said "Are you really a reporter for the Herald and News the 'real Mc Coy' or are you just 'cav'ng' the joint?" Perhaps, gentle reader, you have long labored under the erroneous impression that the only persons who pledge a watch, a ring, or what have you, for a temporary loan, arc the ones who arc the "down. and outers" who arc, en route to the "Skid Roads" of the .nation. Classy Customers '. Well, you might be surprised to ; learn, according to Cofer, of the 'number of Cadillacs that frequent ly park within the shadows of a pawnshop. Their owners are tem porarily down on their luck and they are seeking a temporary loan from their "uncle" to tide them Over. Incidentally, every proprie tor of a pawnshop is invariably called "uncle." The writer quest ionrd Cnfcr 'cWsfly aljbul ome of ftiS"cBsn- ctcrs," especially those habitues of "Skid Road" with whom he dues business. He also queried him re garding some of the unusual arti cles that are left as pledges. "We cater," said Cofcr. "to a cross section of the American pub lic, both male and female. Along with the 'upper crust' jve cater to ill sorts of individuals, intfuding the winos. "It is nothing for one of those boys to be on hand as soAi as we open up for business in the morn ing. It is quite evident that the customer had lost a fighting bout with Bacchus the night before and he wants to get something to slake his burning thirst. "They offer for security such Items as their shoes with socks thrown in), a wooden leg. and on numerous occasions we have had clients who warty-d to pawn their reading glasses and their false teeth." Cgmedy and stark melodrama frequently play an important role on the "stage of life" within the portals of a pawnshop. And in each of these cases iurks an ab aorbins human document. Thc9wnbrokcr was in a remi niscent mood as he told of some of these cases. On several occasions, he said, recent brides, their husbands had "taken a powder" on them shortly after their marriage, were left des titute and in some cases there was an expectant child. Frightfully em barrassed, and on the verge ot tears, they approach the "loan" window. They fumble in their handbags and frequently bring forth their engagement and wed Shop Doors And Tears ding rings. . Old Folks Then there arc the "old folks" and many old pensioners who have one brokf before the arrival of the pension check. Many of these produce heirlooms (priceless to them) which they want to pawn. The following is but a smyill list of some (if the articles reposing in pawnshops. Watches of all types (they lead the list), pistols and shotguns of all descriptions, musical instru- ers, mechanical tools of all de scriptions, radios, TV sets, wash ing machines, bowling balls, sew ing machines, tape recorders, au tomobile tires, fraternity pins, golf clubs, and a variety of other items too numerous to mention. When the reporter identified him self to Sam (Doc) Scott, proprie tor of the Scott Loan Company, it was quite evident that the home- spun philosopher extraordinary had "something on his chest" and his gray hair fairly bristled as he was getting that "something" off his chest. "For years tin end," said Sam "pawnbrokers and pawnshops around the country have been the victims of vicious jokes especially among movie and legitimate stage actors. "When they fail to get a laugh from (heir audience they turn" their attention to us fellows who are operating legitimate businesses. "To hear them (the actors) tell about us, we are nothing but a cheap bunch of chiselcrs who are living on the misfortunes of our fcllowmen. "These so-called jokesters never realize how much we do for the benefit of mankind. And let me tell you this. Many a pawnbroker has been instrumental in keeping a man or woman from behind the bars of a county jail or a peni tentiary. "How come, you ask? Well, the "uy is about down and nearly out. l'erhaps he might nc ligunng to 'pull a caper' (which in the par lance of the underworld means robbery, slickup, etc.). "He might have a pretty good watch or a ting in his pocket. He pawns it, aSd the money he re ceives helps him over the cough spots." Former thief WelLLiked; Given Pay Check NOVI, Mich. (API So well liked is Tormcr police chief Lee Begole the village council refuses to remove him from the payroll. Boggle quit his job to head the police in nearby Cheboygan. The council refused to recognize his resignation and sent him a check for $182.75 covering a two-week period since he left his job Feb. 15. Begole said he would put the paycheck in the bank but would accept no more. The council said it would con tinue to recognize Begole as police chief and still pay him while he is in Cheboygan. Begole said he had no plans to return. Meantime, the Novi pglicc arc under the supervision 01 an acting chief. Tea Drinking Causes Row DONCASTKR, England (AP) -Some 2.30O British employes of an American firm w'sStiOstrikoSita urday dem;SidniP union recogni tion and lea-drinking rights. The International Harvester Co. told the strikers that if they re turn to work Mondapthe firm will negotiate with the unions. One complaint was that most of the men were not allotved to sit down to drink their tea. Previous Crimes Listed Of Con Caryl Chessman SACRAMENTO (UPI) - The man with the crooked nose and black, wavy hair has been busy for the pas 22 years. He spent U years orcaKing tne law and the other 11 debating it. Caryl Chessman was born at St. Joseph, Mich., on May 27 11)21. He was stealing bread and milk at the age of 12. and cars at the age of 14. The first entry in his criminal record came in 1937 when he was arrested on suspicion of auto theft, and suspicion of burglary. Altco a short term at PiOiInn School of Industry, he was 8r rcsled again in 1938. In 1941 Chessman was sent to San QucntiiP prison on four cftints of first jlcgrcfc robbery and one count ot assault with a deadly weapon. He escaped from the Cal ifornia Institution for Men in 1943. He was returned to San Quentin in 1944 witlr an additional new commitment of first degree rob bery and rclsed late in 1947. Within days after Chessman's release, a "red light bandit" be gan terrorizing couples in lovers' lanes in the Los Afigeles area. He impersonated a policeman by driving a car with a flashing red light. Sometimes the bandit flourished a .45 caliber pistol, robbed the couples and vanished. But in oth er occasions, the masked man forced the girl to accompany him and brutally assaulted her. Girl "Kidnaped On the night of Jan. 22, 1948, the bandit approached a young couple parked in an isolated place He kidnaped a 17-year-old irl, attempted to rape her and forced her into acts of sex per version during the three hours he held her captive. The following night, police offi- May spotted a coupe that an swered the description of the bandit's car and signaled it to pull over. The coupe sped away, with the patrol car in pursuit. During a wild 80-mile-an-hour chase, May radioed for help and fired on the fleeing car. The 'coupe plunged through one roadblock and was about to evade another when Reardon rammed it broadside with the patrol car. Police arrested Chessman and a companion in the stolen car, which still contained loot of a rob bery earlier in the evening. KF Accidents Injure Trio; None Serious Three persons were injured Sat urday afternoon, two of them au- toists and the third a pedes trian, in local traffic accidents. Klamath Valley Hospital attend ants said that none of the injuries was serious. Hospitalized were Mrs. Anna Al- laway, 5318 Berry; Claude Wil liamson of Chiloquin, and the pe destrian, Frank Sopieray, 303 Ne vada Street. State police said that William son was injured in a one-car ac-' cident after his northbound vehi cle hit some gravel on the right side of Highway 97 about six miles north of here, then went into a ditch on the left side of the road. He is reported to have sustained facial lacerations. .Mro. Allaway was injured in a traffic mishap that occurred at (the Intersection of South" Sixth Street and Homedale Road. Slate police said that the driver of the vehicle, Bryan Allaway, stopped at the stop sign on Homedale, then pulled out across the highway in an attempt to make a left hand turn. He was struck on the right side by a vehicle driven byj'aul P.. I leiicne, omu m-nviT aireei. Police said that Allaway will be cited for failure to yield the right of wn Sopieray was hit by a vehicle driven byOOrval L. Johnson, 859 Lakeshore, whose car was head ing east on Nevada Street near the Fremont Grocery. It is be lieved that Sopieray sustained leg injuries. Johnson was njj cited. nil 'limns ric udii.iiuiLvivwu hhospital by Peace Ambulance Arab's Nasser Raps Ben-Qurion DAMASCUS. Syria (API-Presi dent Abdcl Gamal Nasser of the United Arab Republic Saturday blasted Israeli Premier David Ben- Gurion as "the greatest war crim inal of the 20th Century" and warned the West against giving Israel arms. O'Offig reports that France in tended 0P send jftt fighters to Isracland Oat itai? will send submarines, the Arab leader de clare This won t terrorize us, be cause we already know who are our enemies and because we are already preparing ourselves to face this aggression." O Hollywood pojjcc announced the lunowing morning mey naa ac cumulated enough evidence to link Chessman to the crimes of the r$ light bandit. The car was stolen in Pasadena about the time the bandit began operations, a pen-type flashlight similar to the one used in the crimes was found in the glove compartment, and a .45calihcr pistol was found nciifby. Chcssmjj( answered the descrip tion of the bandit, aJhough he was sngntiy taller. However, many of the victims identified Chessman as the guilty mei, .Oral Confession Two days later, police said they had obtained an aural confession from. Chessman and declared the case was closed. When brought to trial a few weeks later, Wicss man denied the crimes. He argued that hcwas victim of coincidence, mistaken identity and a police frame-up. He said detectives h,g tricked and beaten him wlo confessing the crimes. s Chessman spurned a court-appointed attorney and attempted to defend himself. A jury of 11 wom en an(J one nm found him guilty on 1 counts of robbery, kidnaping and rape. The jury invoke) California's seldom-used "Little Lindbergh" kidnaping law and ordered the death penalty for two of tl crinx-s. Chessman entered death row at San Quentin on July 3, 1948--and his 11-year fecord of crime was over. The following 11 years were not so obscure for Caryl Chessman, who wrote a best seller, carried his case to the Supreme Court more than a dozen times, and broke eight appointments with the rju.-.haiiliej-. ....... The last reprieve was granted by California Gov. Edmund G. Brown on Feb. 19 as people throughout the world watched and took sides on rile issue. Now the people of the world watch again as Chessman's 60 day reprieve ticks away, and the California Looislature begins con sidering the abolition of capital punishment. The people of the world know the Chessman who became fa mous during 11 years on death row but few know what the man with the crooked nose and pierc ing eyes did to get there. Female Rights Given Backing WASHINGTON (UPD Sen. Olin D. Johnston (D-S.C.) threat ened Friday night to slap back at civil rights advocates by recom mending a girl for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. If the civil rights backers are so concerned about discrimination; Johnston told tho Senate, they should think about female rights. Soviet Propaganda Drive May Put west On Defense WASHINGTON (AP) The So viet Union appears to be building up a major political and propa ganda drive to put the United States and its allies on the defen sive in this year's disarmament and summit conferences. The Western powers divide and uncertain about their strate gy, have yet to generate any strong initiative to counter the So viet offensive. One policy result of the Soviet attack is to give strong indication that the East-West disarmament conlcrence opening in Ggneva March 15 is already solidly dead locked, even before it starts. Similarly, prospects arc dim now to j any agreed solution at the Paris summit conference in May on the problem of West Berlin and the issue of a German peace set tlement. Nevertheless, Western dip'gmats say these negotiations must be held both in the hope of easing Ugnsions and for the purpose of readiness to try to find settle ments, a Secretary of State Christian A. Herter, on his way back from his South American tour with Presi dent Eisenhower, may be able in the next few days to give some fresh impetus to the development of Western planning for the ses sions with the Soviets. The latest blast from Soviet sources against the West came Thursday when the twiO principal newspapers in Moscow, l?vestia and Pravda, made a conceited at tack on recent statements- Her ter. In a full-page article, which at tracted prompt study in the State Department here, IzOstia as sailed point by point every feature of a disarmament speech which Herter made at the National Press Club on Feb. 18. O The Pravda article denounced "Oh, I'll go along with you Now show me one Anonymous Fund Payers Sought By Federal Bureau By FRANK CORMIER WASHINGTON (AP) The In ternal Revenue service said today errant taxpayers whomake anony mous contributions to ihe agency's 'conscience fund" will be credited Pwith the payments if tax agents ever catch up 'with them. In response to an inquiry, offi cials said evidence of every pay ment to the fund in carefully pre served (or this purpose. Conscience fund is the informal which receives, contributions from taxpayers who have cheated Uncle Sam and want to settle their debt without revealing their identity. The fund collects about $10,000 a year. Recent payments nave ranged from 10 cents to $2,000. One man wrote -that he couldn't leep because of his tax evasion and was sending in $300. He added this postscript: "If I still cn't sleep, I will send more later." Perhaps the strangest of all con science fund cases involved a re tired New England business man. He sent in five new $1,000 bills and was quickly traced through the se rial numbers. When agents called on him, he reported that he came to the United States as an immigrant, built up a prosperous business and felt the country had been so good to him that he ought to make a contribution just in case he had once made an unwitting error1 in his taxes. Agi-nts went over his books and found that Uncle Sam owed the man $11,000. So he got a treasury check for $10,000, which included the return of his anonymous pay ment. the Herter statement of Feb. 15 In which he said that the Baltic states of Latvia, Esthonia and Lithuania are entitled to govern ments of their own choice. These states have been incorporated in the Soviet Union sincee earjp incven8March declines and onjj- World War II and Pravda ap peared to be saying in effect that the United States must sooner or late accept ijjeir present status. LEGAL NOT ICR Q NOTtCE OF SALE TO SATISFY WAREHOUSEMAN'S LIEN Pursuant to the provision! of ORS 743,10, notice la hereby given that th undersigned Peoples Warehouse will, on Peoples Warehouse premises at 1425 South Sixth Street, Klamath Falls. Oregon, at 2 P.M. Marrh 16. I960 sell at public auction to the highest and hes'iidder therefor, for cash, tha fol lowing described sook. to wit: 1-matlrcss 1-box springs 1-mrtal bed frame 3-end tables 1 -small cverstuff chair 1-hassock 1-foot stool 3-wnod boxea 1-floor lamp l-chi!d"s table 1 -radio speaker 1- S W radio 2- radio parts . 1-radio trster 1-chest of drawer! 1-wall mirror 1 -bookcase 1-roll rug 1-rug pad S-cartons a-kitchen tools curtain rods or so much thereof as may be nec essary to satisfy the claim of the underpinned for storage on said goods: that the name of the owner or person on whose account said goods are held is Arthur L. Welch: that the amount of the undersigned's claim on said goods Is $144.00 plus cost of notice.' advertisement and sale. Dated February 26, 19BO Peoples Warehouse W. C. Bcnnet, Mgr. No 75, Feb. 26, Mar. t. People Read SPOT ADS you ore tea's 0Mitt Ci--1 z 1 IfllMObyNtMne. T M. tf . 0... Fil. Wf. that this suit is the most! that's the least!" Officials said no effort is made to trace most contributions. How ever, action is taken if the amount is substantial and if enough leads are provided. The biggest recent payment was $2,000 which arrived from Chicago last week. The taxpayer sair he once shorted IRS by $1,500 and was adding $500 to take0care of interest and penalties. Officials were asked what will happerf to the taxpayer's $2,000 if he eventually is discovered. They said that il the contributor can in dicate convincingly that he mailed be credited to his account. He doesn't have to prove it so long as his memory jibes with IRS rec cords. All envelopes containing con science fund payments are photo graphed and preserved. In addi tion, a record is made of the se rial numbers of all currency re ceived. In this way IRS tries to make sure no one cheats himself by en riching the conscience fund. Spring Holds For World Of By ELMER C. WALZER DPI Flnannial Editor NEW YORK (UPI) - In three weeks it will be spring, a petfod both Wall Street and business have been awaiting. If past history holds, the stock market has a better chance of rising than of falling in the month of March. In the past 63 years, industrial shares have risen in 38 anddcclincd in 25, while the roil score has been 36 gains and 27 declines. Spring is the time the auto salesmen hope their predictions of big sales totals will come true. If they are right, steel operations should hold high in several vital centers. Railroads should have more business, and building should have come out of its slump. The month of March lor the stock market h, improved its gaining record in each of the past three decades, In the tantalizing thirties industrial shares showed three gains. n i . l In tw firming forties this group managed to show only four March declines and six gains. In the fabulous fifties, there were only the'e March declines and seven advances. The decade of the thirties saw a market facing to new lows in 1932 and then rallying moderately. The l'Pos saw industrials get to 200 or a little better. It took the 1950s to see the average cross 300, 400, 500, and 600. W:hat will the soaring sixties see' Some prognosticators are put"ng the average up to 800 or better after further misery for some stockholders before there is an influx of eager buyers. The biggest market gain in March in the past three decades was made in 16 when the Dow- Jones average rose 28.14 points. The biggest decline was in March. 1938, when the average declined 30.69 points. In March of 1959 the market enjoyed a good rise in the first half and then declined with the average losing 1.79 points on the month. q Optimistic Forecasters The market so far this year has suffered from exuberance ot prognostication. As the predictors saw the future late in 1959 the golden era of the 1960s was to produce a rip- MOVING? Call TU 2-3212 NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES County Fairground Users By TOM STIMMEL A good many pitchforks were iahbed into the hide, of an absent Klamath County Kair Board Krl day night by .users of the county fairgrounds and buildings. More than 70 representatives of a dozen amateur organizations from barrel racers to ridge riders met in the fairgrounds exhibi tion building to air their views. They complained about an incon sistent rental schedule, elimination of dances that "wore the floor nil." inequitable use of. rooms and lurldings, or or no janitor service, and short-sighted building plans. o ine crowd at first seemed un certain of its purpose. Several per sons asked why the meeting had been called. The chairman. Ken Snyder, 2624 Vandcrgrift Avenue, at no time introduced himself to the assembly. He wfc asked who called the meeting, and he did not answer, Pros and Con There have been an awful lot of pros and cons about the fair board and the fairgrounds," Sny der said. "We ' think something ought to be done, one way or the other. "We're not after anybody's job,' he said. "We're here to find out if it's tieing run right." BUI iteppe, president of the Roping Club, was the first to speak. "We have been treated very justly," heVaid. Mrs. Beverly Viand, represent ing the Oregon Barrel Racing As sociation", said, "We have been treated fairly. We wanted t h e room for a meeting. It took one phone call, that's all." Mrs. Scott McKendree of t h e District Garden Club brought the first hint of comprint. She wanted to know if building users were re- service, and how much hall rental should be. John Owens, president of t h c Ridge Riders, said, "We've been getting along fine." But he said he had been told the hall could not be used for dancing anymore. We had it reserved for the 12th," he said, "but we were turned down last week." By this time it became appar ent that complaints were in order, and they followed generously. A Promise Business snorting boom In just about everything. The boom didn't rip-snort and the predictors were toned down, Meantime selling brought stocks down in a decline that carried through the first half of February. The decline in turn brought caution into business and the whole economy steadied. Respite mis braking of the boom, industry operated around its best levels in history in most lines even though the totals weren't up to earlier anticipations. According to many Wall Street observers, this development was all to the good. It helped prevent excesses in business and in mar kets. And, they add, it brought stocks down to a more normal level with earnings and earnings prospects made stocks mote respectable pricewise. The unsolved problem as the market goes into its third month of 1960 is whetheio prices of stocks have adjusted sufficiently to bring in the big buyers. Some of the market men hold that the list could muddle around current levels before meetine volume support. A few others expect further declines before the big buying point is reached. Regular Meeting Of DAR Slated The regular meeting of Eulalona Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution will- be held in the downstairs auditorium of the city library on Monday evening, start ing at 8 p.m., according to the re gent, Mrs. Julian Ager. This is a change of meetins place from that listed in the year book. Mrs. Ager pointed out. This will be the last opportunity toegistcr for attendance at the state convention to be held at Eu gene on March 9, 10 and 11. OVERWEIGHT? HEDY LAMARR suggests (fljskjLoi "Vv discovered th secret of weight control. Take Ayds", siyt Heriy, Taken as directed before meals, Ayds eurhi your appetite. You au tomntteally eat le lose pounds. Ayds now in chocolate fudge-type and vanilla caramel, Money bark jruarantee. A Month's Supply $3.25. vocal spokesman was,5Dr. M. C. McFadden, a veterinatfan, member nf IhA .liininr NnHut AccnnlafiM and friend of youth. "We've got a plant here that' worth probably $250,000, and you, and you, and you, and I ar tax payers," he said. "Why can't w use it? The city's fighting with the suburban area now becaust it doesn't have room for our kids. Kids won't tear up the arena any more than the ropers will." O 'Ran Us Out' The Junior Rodeo AssoyaOon, he said, had to move its show to Tulelake last year. "They didn't run us out the county, they ran us out of the state," he ai cud. He compared price: At the fairgrounds, $150 for the fifst show, $150 for a second show, $100 for the barns, $50 for ligh'U, and $75 for a hall "if we wanted to hold a queen's ballf' Tulelaies "A two-day show for $50, lock, slock and barrel." He added that lights cost actfRft kilowatt hours, and a hall for the queen's ball would cost $25. i Dan Emerick said the Saddle Cluhiad asked for two rooms foe a party, was turned downe and was told dliat "square dances fcad worn the floor out." He asked, "What're they using the0buildtng for? That's jvhat I want to kn0v." Ron Johnson wanted some pro vision for independent individuals to ride in the arena, and pro posed a schedule for afler-schbol use. Bill Dingier said the south end of the race track had been washed out and not repaired, and that last fall a rail had been torn down, and that he had to maji any repairs made. Slim Stephen son said he was bucking horses in the arena until two years "agj when he was turned oway because the arena was. too wet. "I figure tfittrwct (ni-fhrr'-if's:'mr"bi&i-s ness. I've got to ride 'em, ttfey don't." ' County Assessor. Hap Caldwell read figures from the 1959 '60 budget. Fair boaifl 'income was $38,050, its expenses were $53,227, its expenses over income, to be raised by taxeswas $15,177. ,', Phil Sheridan of Satan's Chauf feurs said they, too, were I01d no more dances could btffleld at the fairgrounds because of floor dam age. Women objected to having -to clean up the building before and after use, and one person main tained that Harold Willheit, fair grounds manager, did "nothing but open the door." Basil Brown commented on $22,000 sinking fund for a new ham, and said, "I can't see spend ing $80,000 to $90,000 for another new building just for 4-H usa alone. I have nothing against 4-H, you understand, but I think tho building should be for all pur poses." Numerous Complaints Numerous complaints w e r made of Willheit. State Represent ative Carl Yancey asked, "In deal ing with Mr. Willheit, did he say these things were the official will of the board?" Owens said they were. "Then I think your organizations should make up a tentative sched ule and take it to the fair board. If Mr. Willheit gives you any trou ble, then we should see to that," Yancey said. Throughout the meeting, the fcir hnnrrl'c ahnuia w,. emnl.H,!.nJ by five empty chairs beside the chairman's table, while some peo ple were standing. Snyder said tho fair board and the county oourt both were asked to joinothe meet ing. Members of both the court and the board said thev had not pjeen infitfd, and ffieiiSnly knowl edge was a meeting notice in tho Herald and News. Nevertheless a meeting is in prospect. c committee of 12 or ganization heads is to meet Mon day at 7 p.m. in Shasta School to draw up complaints to be brought before the county court, fryder aid County Judge Bob Walker had tentatively scheduled a meeting with thiPcourt for next Wednes day when views could be heard. At length, just before the meet ing was adjourned, someSody thought it would be a good idea to invite Willheit and the fair board to the meeting with tho court. This was decided upon. iancey said he would help. 'This is the only county in tho state where this sort of thing is going on." he said. "I'm lorrjf about it." MONTAGUE PTA ! PRESENTS VANITIES I OF 1960 March 11-12 j 8:00 P.M. Montague Hall Adults $i.oo ; Children 50c 0