The Key West Citizen Newspaper, January 16, 1953, Page 1

Key West, Florida, has the most equable climate in the country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit Che Key We Two Sailors Are Jailed In Other Prowling Cases Two men were arrested _ end a third escaped cap- ture as a wave of terror in which three separate prowl- ing incidents were reported, - broke over the city last night. A Poinciana housewife was cruelly beaten as a nocturnal prowler attempt- , 2d to criminally attack her t as she returned from the store shortly after 9:00 ' p.m. last night, but her as- » sailant eluded a police man- hunt spread out for his cap- ture. However, Navy men Morden D. Smith, 22, of the USS Coates and Paul E. Waldbesser, 29, of the USS Crossbill ended up in police custody after they were captured, ‘ one of them at gunpoint by an irate homeowner, when they were found prowling. The Poinciana attack was touched off when a 26-year-old Navy wife told police that as she was returning from the grocery store to her Poinciana apart- ment, “a tall dark haired man” grabbed het from behind and at- tempted to’ drag her to the ground. : The assailant, who the woman said was wearing a grey jacket and dark trousers, put his hi over her mouth and said, “If you m, Vil kill you,” Y ioe a. u Struck the wema about the face but 2 well piaced: kick broke the’ man’s hold on the (Continued On Page Six) $12,169 Comes To Key West Out Of Cigaret Tax Key West's share of the cigarette tax money collected in November will be $12,169.87 according to Sam F. Davis, director of the State Beverage department which collects the tax. A total of $1,511,300 was collect- ed from this tax during Novem- ber. Of this $1,196,489.74 is being distributed to eligible incorporated municipalities. The city of Miami leads all others with an allocation of $180, 551. KW Police Recover Stolen Truck The Key West police department today recovered a truck reported stolen from a Princeton, Florida farm equipment company. VOL. LXXIV. Nocturnal Prowler Attacks Poinciana Woman Thursday THE SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER IN: THE U.S.A. No. 14 Condemnation |Doesn’t Like Of SI Lot To (Jail So Much; Start Pronto Commissioners Say They Need Lot For Safe Road From US 1 County Commissioners voted yes-| John Clark, the defendant who | Asks Release Judge Caro Sends Prisoner Back To Jail After Mind Changes KEY WEST, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, JANUARY ¥ 1953 PRICE FIVE CENTS ‘a Nathan Mayo Dedicates New Jai COUNTY OPPOSES SPOT ZONING ON BOULEVARD COMMISSION WILL VOTE TO CONDEMN LAND IF PARKING LOT DEAL IS MADE County Commissioners voted unanimously yesterday to ask the city of Key West to refuse to spot zone an area on the boulevard for a parking lot which would operate in direct competition with their own terday to condemn a 50 by 100!said he wanted a 60 day jail sen- | at the county owned airport. foot lot on Stock Island for use as a county road because the owner has refused to sell, they said. Commissioners Harry Harris and Clarenee Higgs inspected the controversial lot yesterday at 1:15. tence because he like jail, today asked Criminal Court Judge Tho- mas Caro: “Can I change my mind? I don’t like it so much. I'd like to get At 2:15 they told the meeting of | out.” the Commission that the land was absolutely essential for a.new pro- posed road leading from the high- The judge who had complied with the paralyzed man’s request that way to the attractions going up on | he stay in jail, then sentenced him Stock Island, such as the drive- |again to 60 days or $150 fine. He in theater and dog track. Owner of the property, Mrs. Virginia Patterson when ap- proached by Joe Sirugo, con- tractor, had refused to sell the land to him, he said. She instead sold it to Clem Price, it was said, for $3,500, or $1,000. more than the offered price. Harris said yesterday that the lot is needed for a safe road. “I’m not in favor of condemning anyone’s property. But since Mrs. Patterson has refused to sell this (Continued On Page Two) Key Westers Jam re ast ing if the annual series street shows to boost the Monroe County March of Dimes fund cam- Louis Carbonell, chairman of the affair termed the response of the spectators as “heartwarming.” The free shows will continue to- night when the entertainers from the Havana Madrid Club along with the band from that night spot will appear at the corner of Southard and Duval Streets. The affair will get underway at 8:00 and is free to the public. The shows will continue through Janu- ary 31st. TALLAHASSEE # — Florida's general agency and _ institution budget for the next biennium is being made this year by a simpler process than usual. Three official groups which fre- quently in the past have been at odds through a confusing appro- priations fight in the closing hours of the legislative session are listen- ing together to requests for some 350 million dollars in operating Officer Henry Lounders discover- | funds. ed the stolen truck which was load- They are the Cabinet Budget ed with produce on Passover Lane | Commission, the Senate Appropria- told him that he would give him a year if he found him driving again. State Highway Patrolman had testified last week that Clark had been denied a license to drive because of his handicaps. He was ériving when Walden arrested him The Judge gave light fines in a day of guilty plea sessions which was marked by its quiet. John Henry Koach, was fined five dol- lars for reckless driving; Jesse Dale Youngker, and William Ed- win Clark were fined $10 for reck- less driving; Lonnie B. Williams was fined on the same cahrge, and Austin Fredetick was fine on reckless driving charges. Gor- don Leroy The city commission moved yes- terday to start legal action against 16 property owners in Key West who have delinquent tax accounts dating from 1946 and before. City Attorney M. Ignatius Les- ter was instructed by the com- mission to start court proceedings against the property owners when it was revealed that they have made no move to redeem Tax Certificates held by the city. CLOSER COOPERATION TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. Official Groups Confer On State Budget from past administrations and old hands at the game, mostly lis- tened. From questions. asked, it ap- peared extra money is in store for mental institutions, the state ad- vertising program, children’s serv- ices and the Parole Commission. Some hostility was indicated for most items calling for hiring spec- ial attorneys. and the requested appropriation of $120,000 for the governor’s Highway Safety Con- ference and the Citizens Safety Council. this morning. When the Miami Police depart- ment’s auto theft bureau was no’ fied, they said that they would The safety groups were or- ganized by Gov. Fuller Warren. The 1951 Legislature denied them tions Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. As usual, they will make inde- pendent recommendations. But the send a man down to pick up the | fact that they all have heard agen- vehicle. The truck, apparently abandoned, jultaneously and have joined in was said to be missing for four a in Princeton. __._- |ings before recessing until Jan. 22 HUMANE SOCIETY DANCE Elk’s Club Annex TONIGHT 9 P.M. Music by Gerald Pinder and His Orchestra Adm. $1.50 Floor Show Tax Inc. s owned by the B and/s | | |55 million dollars in operating and ey heads declare their needs sim- R 2 Man Wanied asking questions may eliminate me of the conflicts of the past. In their first two days of hear- they heard requests for more than new bare oe gyno is ths | FOR CITY The legislators ai v. Dan McCarty, the of budge: mse ot un RCA RADIO beidorers| EQUIPMENT Cabinet members, all APPLY City Manager NOTICE STORE CLOSED FOR INVENTORY SATURDAY AND MONDAY THEIR SINGING AND DANCING IS A PLEASURE THE FABULOUS BEAUTIFUL “FOUR REASONS” The Commissioners are sti ly opposed to the proposed sec parking lot for which Marco. sa, is trying to get rezoning. eral of them have said they will vote to condemn the property if the City spot zones. The property is owned by Vin- cent Conley, former president of the now defunct Key West -Im- provement Inc. Mesa wants to lease the land from Conley and turn it into a parking lot. Meanwhile the Commissioners have let the lease to their own parking lot for which they get $3,000 a year. This is rt of guaranteed income which the Com- missioners are trying to establish for an $100,000 airport terminal building. They say that they can- not build such a terminal unless they get assured income from various concessions at the dir- port. The concensus at the special meeting at 2:15 yesterday wi that if Me permitted te r @ parking lot in competition with - that now leased by the County fo Elizabeth Burkis, there will be no guaranteed income from that - source. The C 4 sand will sfart condemnation svits in the, courts. This would be the second time condemnaticn suits have been level ed against Key West Improvement Inc. property. The City of Key West filed suit against the ‘com- pany for the entire acreage of Meacham field when negotiations for its purchase by a public body came to a deadlock. Now,, although the company is defunct, the con- demnation proceedings would be against the present owner of the boulevard land: adjacent to the ait port parking lot, Vincent Conley, Commissioners feel that if the City rezones the area for the (Continued On Page Two) operating money, but the Cabinet has continued to finance them with a donation from the general de- ficiency fund. Their budget was presented Thursday under the name of the “Safety Commission.” The head of the citizens’ group said a bill would be presented early in the legisla- ture to create such an agency. Several members of the power- fal House and Senate Appropria- tions committees immediately questioned why the safety educa- tion work couldn't be done by the highway patrol or by civie groups without tapping state funds, Members of the House Appro- priations Committee agreed that they won’t hear budget pleas dur- ing the Legislature from any agen- cy or institution head they hear during the budget commission ses- sions unless they ask for additional facts. Chairman James Moody, Plant City, said he will name four sub- brsccowsar geo? to study every budget | request and report back to the full committee before the House group sends its version of the biennial (Continued On Page Two) SPECIAL ATTRACTION At DUFFY'S TAVERN 218 Duval Se. GOULD CURRY At The Piane 91 P.M. Taste Angelo’s Delicious PIZZA PIES Agriculture Iatsan: Maye: He Is DEDICATED by Florida Commissioner of pulled the cord unveiling the plaque at 5 p.m. yesterday.—Citizen Staff Photo. jane was tracked down hy 2 blood- hound and recaptured. iForty other prisoners stayed in their cells during ‘The dead guard was Grant R. Dohner, 68, who was struck down as he ate an early morning meal. Injured was John F. Graydon, 52, whose skull was fractured. Prison Capt. E. E. Paige said both men were struck from behind with a 20-inch stove lid handle by Donald Lee’ Willis, 21, a trusty serving five years for armed rob- bery. Willis served the mes] to Dohner and dealt the blows as he ate, said Paige. The trusty then took break- fast to Graydon, on duty in an office which overlooked a cell block. As Graydon started to eat, he, too, was. struck down. keys. He and three men left others remained in guards. Those who escaped with Wi were Thomas { re Mi and Robert Swyers, 23, ea ing five ne for entering; and Paul Raiph 31, Bonifay, serving 15 yea: armed in Levy County. Fields was tecaptured. At least sevén road blocks were PE. PR ivi in the search. ral 9 BELOW ZERO AT meee Eeiné ¢ a 5 Plus . Kilgore\ly, back Case” Fuller Warren and others engaged in a kickback conspiracy to repay campaign backers. C. V. Griffin, wealthy Howey-in- the-Hills citrus man and a heavy Warren campaign contributor four years ago, asked redress in the new suit for “malicious prosecu- tion.” He said his name, credit and reputation had suffered. Griffin also filed the earlier suit, asking $100,000 damages for libel from Kilgore and his attorney, State Rep. Thomas T. Cobb, Day- tona Bi le Kilgoi made his hickback charges in civil suits for $300,000 damages filed in the U. S. District Court and the Duval County Circuit Court at Jacksonville. Federal Judge Bryan Simpson dismissed the action, ruling his court did not have jurisdiction. Kilgore a few days later withdrew the Circuit Court suit. A Marion County Grand Jury hel month-long investigation of criminal: aspects of the charges jand reportec it couldn't find suf- | ficient evidence to back them up. Kilgore’s suits said be was fired from his $12,000 a year job as sales manager with the Florida Crushed Stone Co., Ocala. for op- posing a deal to rake off 10 cent a ton on rock sold for state roads Commissioner Higgs Hands Keys To Sheriff John Spottswood After Chairman Saunders Introduces Numerous Officials At Ceremony The $205,657 Monroe county jail was dedicated at ‘Game Proceeds Thursday Nite Large Checks Are Given To March Of Dimes, Blind Fund At Dinner The March of Dimes Fund got a tremendous boost last night when the Lions Club presented treasur- er Paul Sher with a check for |and Harry Harris., $1,634.99. This represented half of the profits from the charity foot- brief but impressive ceremonies by Commissioner of Agri- ulture Nathan Mayo at 5:30 yesterday evening, with ranking county, state and Navy officials present. Mayo, who has served under nine Flors.:. Governors and has held office for 30 years, made a short dedicatory ~'speech congratulating the County on getting value for levery dollar spent on the construction of the new jail. ‘Lions Present He said that this is one of 21 new jails completed at a cost of $3,389,000, in the state. Introduced by Chairman of the Monroe County Commission, Ger- ald Saunders, Mayo said: “1 want to see Florida at the top of all states in the jail sys- tem. | congratulate you and 1! know the prisoners will appreci+ ate the jail. The jail is now de- dicated.” He and Saunders, other Commis- sioners and Sheriff John Spotts- wood moved to the bronze tablet and unveiled it for the public and press to see. All stood during the dedication. Engraved on the plaque are the names of the present County Com- missioners, Saunders, Joe Allen, Clarence Higgs, and Frank Bentley. M. E. Bennett, contractor who was congratulated ball game the club sponsored be- | for the fine job of construction has tween the Pensacola Navy Gos- hawks and the Opa-Locka Marine | Air Station December 5. an equal amount g the Blind Fund Lions : mou augmenting the treasury. Of the club’s activity have I seen a job better done.” Among the other activities pur- sued by the club at the dinner meeting at their den on Seminary Street was the naming of Miss Madeline Curry as the Lions dan- didate for March of Dimes queen. Miss Curry, who was second in last year’s contest, has received the backing of other organizations, which are working to make her this year’s queen. ‘ Plans were discussed for the forthcoming Lions Club Minstrei show which will be under the direction of Lion Jack Clarke. Tentative dates for the show are February 26, 27 and 28. This has become an annual presentation of the group, and already this year’s show promises to surpass those of preceding y-ars, if possible. 1952 Warmer And Dryer For Florida JACKSONVILLE — It was warmer than usual in Florida last year and we had less rain. The average temperature was 71.4, one-half a degree above nor- mal, and the rainfall was off 5.4 inches. R. L. Anderson, climatological section director of the weather bu- to repay Warren's backers. reau, in a report, also had this to Warren, members of his Road | Board, Griffin, and others amed | Say about 1952's weather: in the action denied the charges.| The hottest was 105 at Monti- Warren said they were “a political |cello and Quincy in June and at smear.” {De Funiak Springs in July; the Kilgore says he has withdrawn | lowest, 20, at Live Oak, St Marks no charges. He said he discon-|and Secotan (Taylor County) in tinued the® suit in Duval Circuit | December. Court “for the time being” be-|- “The summer was notable for cause he) intends to “finally de- its sustained duration of warm itermine my right to be heard in | weather from late April to early Federal Court.” | September,” with June the hottest He and Cobb said the charges since records were started in 18yi were too broad for a state grand | The shortage of rainfall brought jury investigation and should be jon a drought of major proportions explored on a federal level. jin Northern Florida. Pensacola had rs |no rain for #@ days from Sept. 24 to Nov. 9, the longest it had been without precipitation for 73 years A wet February helped citrus growers but flooded truck farms. No tropical storm bit the state the burricane season. but 2 small tropical storm with winds up ¢ Sta,|t0 69 miles an hour crosses ex treme Southern Florida Feb. 2. his name engraved for posterity, as does James Gamble Rogers Il, peep ag Earl Adams, Circuit “Sofar no Sheriff could want a pam, commission with which to work.” of the jail depends on action by the Florida State legisiature in Saunders introduced the guests of honor at the ceremony including State Representative B. C, Papy, Rear Admiral Irving T. Duke, State Senator James Franklin, the four other members of the County Commission, Joe Allen, Harry Har- ris, Higgs, and Frank Bentley; Florida Keys Aqueduct Commis- sion manager Ernest Ramsey, Tax Assessor Claude Gandolfo, Cireuit Court Judge Aquilino Lo- pez, Jr., State Attorney J. Lance- |lot Lester, Criminal Court Judge Thomas Caro, School Board mem- bers Billy Warren and Earl Dun- can, Superintendent of Public In- struction Horace O'Bryant’ and County Judge Raymond Lord, Post Master Hoilon Bervaldi, Supervi- sor of Registration Sam B. Pinder, Circuit Court Clerk Adams. Other notables introduced by 'Saunders were Juvenile Court Judge Eva Warner Gibson, Proba- tion officer Mrs. Isabel Flemin; Willie Saunders, Agriculture partment representative; City | Judge Enrique Esquinaldo, Police Chief Joseph Kemp, Fire Chief (Continued On Page Two) NOTICE NEW TAGS | FOR BICYCLES | Are Now On Sale CLO TAGS EXPIRED | DECEMBER 31, 1952 | THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CHECKING ALL BICYCLES FOR VALID TAGS i JAY WRAY @ LOGUN'S OCEAN PATIO The Nation’s No. 1 Mimic No Cover - No Minimum