The Key West Citizen Newspaper, February 16, 1954, Page 1

Key West, Florida, has most equable climate in country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit VOL. LXXV Ne. 40 the the THE SOUTHERNMOST NE WSPAPER KEY WEST, FLORIDA, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1954 IN THE She Ken West Citisen U.S. PRICE FIVE CENTS Local Man Says He Was Kidnape Tortured With Lighted Cig Out-Of-Work Painter Is In Monroe General For Treatment By JIM COBB The Sheriff's Depart- ment is checking the story of a 22-year-old unemployed painter who says that he was kidnapped Sunday atfter- noon, driven up the keys, Honor Maine Dead é t & | | | { § | | tortured and released more} d Go-Ahead Is Given On Ferry City Commission Grants Sirugo Lease On Tract Of Waterfront The city commission gave the go-ahead signal last night to the proposed auto ferry line between Key West and Cardenas, Cuba, when they granted a lease to Joe Sirugo, local contractor, for a tract of waterfront land at the foot of Simonton Street for use as the Key West ter- arettes City Okays Presentation Of Rodeo ‘At Special Meeting Called Today * *&. ke te & x * *& ke ke & Feb. 24 Deadline Set For NAL Reply To Charge County Officials Discuss Situation With CAB Mon. By DENIS SNEIGR National Airlines has un- til Feb. 24 to reply to Mon- Fund For Little Delores Grows The fund being raised for lit- tle Delores Disgdiertt is grow- ing. The Lions Ciub, whose main he tee & After a long, jangling, ke ko’ City’s Percentage Of Gross Will Go To Little Delores Fund The on-again off-again rodeo is on again, arm-waving row at a spectat minus of the line. meeting at noon today, three city commissioners voted than 24-hours later. to permit the rodeo to play this weekend in Wickers Police patrolman Lionel Project is work with the blind, ee roe County’s complaint a- The commission voted unani- ~ P is giving a substantial contri- mously to grant the lease. bout the line cancelling Soriano identified the man as Angelo Leto, of 312% William Street. He is in Monroe General Hospital for treatment of severe burns) about the face, chest and neck. Soriano was called to the home early today where Le- to told a fantastic story of ‘being picked up on Stock Is- land Sunday by a man who offered him a job. He said he was both chloroformed and taken up the keys and tortured by being burned a- bout the face with a lit ci- garette and forced to re- move his shoes and walk over sharp rocks, Police indicated today that the FBI may be called into the case to investigate the alleged abduction. Leto told police that the ordeal began about 7 p. m. Sunday and that he. was beaten into. uncon- sciousness last night and when he came to early this morning, he! was lying by the side of the road| on Flagler Avenue, Had Been Followed The victim, who has been out of! work for some time, reported that “a man had been following him) for several days.” He added that Sunday afternoon, | he went to visit a friend in the zen Staff Photo, Finch, Battleship Maine Dead Honored In Ceremony Cotnmission Passes No Parking Law THE FIRING SQUAD of the Key West Guard of Honor fires a salute to the men who died aboard the Battleship Maine in Ha- vana harbor. Veterans’ organizations yesterday afternoon held memorial services at the Maine plot in City Cemetery.—Citi- Sirugo then announced that he; will break ground soon for con- struction of landing facilities on the Hand, the old Wagner property which has been lying dormant for upwards of 30 years. The lease says that Sirugo must break ground for construc- tion of the terminal: within six anya grows point where the Simonten must nego- at the Clyde which the city terminal more the first and a oe * Legion ‘Post * Bones ps orate - wisaster The men who died aboard the battleship Maine 56 years ago were! honored yesterday afternoon in ceremonies at the city cemetery. In the fenced plot where many that talks in Washington with official: ‘of the start of service, pur- thrice|Meacham Field. The line now op- are three of its four daily flights here. After that date, the Civil Aeronautics Board will de- cide whether to start formal action against NAL or to re- ject the county’s complaint. This was the word from Washing- ton today where Paul Sawyer, at- torney for the county commission- ers, met yesterday afternoon with Robert L. Griffith, chief of the compliance division of the CAB. According to an Associated Press was accompanied to the CAB meet- ing by Harold A. Wilde, county cox, an aide to Rep. Bill Lantaff (D-Fla). In a petition filed with the CAB, Sawyer charged that NAL violated a regulation by not giv- ing 10-days notice of a change in airmail schedules, petition further charged that The clty|NAL’s lone daily flight was not ten|m. eeting the public’s need and con-' ~NAL dropped three of its four daily flights between here and Mi- ami on Jan. 1, the date a new rate schedule went into effect at tes one daily round trip with a er plane. ry 4-passeng. for approval) in the meantime, Griffth told (Continued On Page Eight) dispatch from Washington, Sawyer} airport consultant, and Billy Wil-| bution, according to Lions Club president, Paul Albury. A woman came in yesterday with the contents of her “‘pig- gy bank.” A check from Frank Bentley has already been turned over to the “Baby Delores Fund.” Others who were touched by the baby’s story have called to say that they were sending contributions so that Delores can have a chance to see. The Citizen will be happy to accept contributions for Delor- es and turn them over to the fund. Descendant Of ‘Cuban Patrio Is Honored Mrs. Paul Ladd Is Granddaughter Of Composer Of Cuban Nat’l Song Mrs. Paul Ladd, recently honor- led by a Cuban lodge, said today \that she and her husband plan to visit Cuba to participate in the annual carnival, The Ladds live at Eagle Avenue t Stadium, Mayor C. B. Harvey d missioner Jack Delaney was Lang Orders Police Dept. Shake Up Commission Agrees To His Recommendations City Manager Victor Lang has ordered a sweeping re-organiza- tion of the police department, it) was revealed iast night at the re-/ gular city commission meeting. Lang outlined his recommenda- tions in a lengthy letter to Police Chief Raymond Rasitg 4 They ranged from a propogal td abolish’ its replacement by “‘desk officers” to coincise definition of the duties) of each police officer on the force. But Cabrera would not com- ment today on @ statement made last night by the city manager that he was not in complete agreement with Lang's orders. Lang told the city commission \the post of police sergeant to and) idn’t vote. He passed. Com- absent. Commissioners Louis Carbonell, Delio Cobo and Blondie Roberts all voted yes. Less than 24 hours before —about 9:30 p. m. yester- day—the commission voted unanimously to revoke their permission to let the rodeo show. Last Friday, the commissioners unanimously okayed the rodeo, Under the resolution passed to- day, little Delores Disdgiertt, five-month-old glaucoma victim, will get all of the city’s 10 per cent of the rodeo’s gross. The Key West Citizen started a fund raising campaigp so the little girl can have a sight restoring op- eration. Today’s resolution also ups the rodeo’s bond against possible damage to the field from $1,000 to $5,000, The meeting today started quiet- ly enough with Roberts moving that the rodeo be to show with the city’s tue. Doing given to little Delores, j Carbonell seconded the motion. Then Harvey called for discus. sion of the motion and the up-in- arms business began. J. ¥. Porter IV, city attorney, Suggested that the bond be raised to $5,000. Victor Vicks, vice president of \ that he had conferred with a mem- the National Rodeo Association, told the meeting “‘we are not coms ber of the Federal Bureau of In-| ing into the stadium with bull- Coral Isle Trailer Park on Stock vestigation before preparing the! dozers.and wreckers. | have nev- and 17th St. Island when a man in a “two-tone| Mrs. Duval Street of the Maine dead lie, members| Outstanding Comedy Scores 1949 Buick drove up and said that he knew he was a painter and ask- ed him if he wanted a job.” When Leto replied in the affirma- tive, the man told him to .get in the car and he would take him to! the job. Man In Hiding Leto said that he got in the car and they drove up the Keys, He added that they had traveled but a short distance when a man who had been hiding in the back seat! of the car, leaped on him and! clapped a handkerchief saturated| with chloroform over his face. He was rendered unconscious, he said, and when he regained his! senses, found that he was tied to) a tree and was blindfolded. He added that he heard three men talking. One asked him “what he had done with that box of money?” Leto asked them: ‘What money?” Claims Torture They then stuck lighted cigarettes in his face, according to Leto’s story. Later they forced him to remove his shoes and walk across sharp! rocks. Leto said that they took his wal- fet and when they found a picture of his wife and seven month old) Parking Banned Daily From 4 To 6 P.M. Here to 6 p. m. daily will be prohibited in the future, according to an or- dinance passed last night on sec ond reading by the city commis- sion. The commission voted to ban Parking of all vehicles, including delivery trucks, despite a spirited opposition raised by a group of Duval Street merchants and one of their members, Commissioner Lou- is Carbonell. | The Chamber of Commerce Re- Parking on the east side of Du-| val Street between the hours of 4/ of veterans organizations gathered to honor not only the dead of the Spanish-American war but the dead of other United States con- flicts. A sprinkling of spectators stood Outside the iron fence. Three sight- (Seeing cars drove by the plot while the ceremonies were in pro-| gress, ‘ ‘The Disaster ‘The Maine, ordered to Havana in January, 1898, to protect U. S. citizens, was blown up Feb. 15, ‘killing 264 men and two officers. An external mine was blamed for \the disaster. | Standing before the Maine monu- ment, Vance Stirrup, of Arthur \Sawyer Post No. 28, American Le- gion, introduced the, program. The quartet of the high school band played several selections; e ° Success On Opening Night Mickey Renna, ( oast Cu rd D. Caracciolo i a Are Outstanding Sends Aid To =|! Be" Phy . 2 By MARGARET FORESMAN ‘The Key West Players ha Stricken Ship tir "Mee mse ‘The Coast Guard today dispateh-|tion, “Bell, Lpaieiecircespe al ed @ plane and a cutter to the aid badge ey nl eno of a disabled fishing vessel with! other outstanding success. | five men aboard. | ‘The John van Druten comedy,’ 4 The Lady Betty II, 108-foot con-,ably directed by Emily, Goddard, wested:ceieoearch 1, {is enacted with a deft professional | touch, much of which must be at- Ladd, whose paternal | grandfather, Perucho Figueredo, composed the national anthem of Cuba, recently was given an-en- graved scroll by the Bayamo, Cuba, Lodge of the Order of the Caballeros de ta Luz. As a child, Mrs. Ladd, the form- new organizational plan. “A little more than a month ago, the commission asked me to take! more interest in the police depart-| ment — this is the result,” Lang ‘said. The commission had ordered Lang to assume active supervision of the police department as acting Director of Public Safety. — The commission last night ex- oressed approval of the recom- mendations and voted to have hem put into effect. Lang's letter: “The following Police Depart- ment organizational recommenda- ions shall be effective immediate- iy. “1, Chief of Police. The Chief of Police shall have complete con- rol of all assignments of officers and men, Reporting directly to er placed a bond that high, even at Wrigley Field or Soldiers Field.” Earl Adams, county clerk and president of the Quarterback Club, asked the commissioners: “How can you gentlemen enter into a contract to let this rodeo Play in Wickers Stadium when the city code says you can not. You'd be guilty of a misdemeanor.” “How much damage can they jdo?” Roberts asked. “Considerable,” Adams replied, Vicks then addressed Carbo- | nell, asking him if he saw any of the stock leave the arena area when Carbonell saw the rodeo Play last week in Miami Stadium. Carbonell said he saw no stock \leave the arena, | Vicks asked if Carbonell noted that spectators could not get di- tail Merchants Divsion had ear- |Mayor C. B. Harvey spoke brief- | lier voted unanimously te oppose lly; and Mrs. Ethel A. Godfrey, na- the measure, claimirg that it was |tional president of the Gold Star discriminatory and would disrupt |Mothers Inc. of America, gave a the normal operation of their C@ding. Mrs. Godfrey is from business. Washington, D. C. Commissioner Carbonell held Salute To The Dead ithat the ordinance would “discri-| The firing squad of the Key West |minate against Duval Street mer-uard of honor saluted the dead jchants.”” ‘and Frank Bervaidi, of the high’ “If we are going to pass an or-|School band, played taps. jdiance like this, we should put it The invocation was by Mrs. Glo- was disabled, taking water and drifting 150 miles west of Dry Tor- tugas, the Coast Guard here was, Notified at 4:03 a. m. The two-masted vessel, en toute from Campeche to Tampa, had no survival equipment aboard but does have life jackets. A plane from the Coast Guard! i Air Station at St. Petersburg took| would alter her whole life for | ° joff at 4:06 a. m. to drop survival) ve tributed to the poise and ability of Mickey Renna. | Mickey, as Gillian, carries the for almost the entire time. She | is convinging even in the whim- sical role of a young lady who, | after devoting most of her time to the black magic of witchcraft, changes suddenly to a girl who josef play throughout, being on stage | * MRS. PAUL LADD im shall be the Captain, three Lieutenants, three Desk Officers, aad the officer’s relief. “2. Police Captain. The Captain of Police shall be responsible for: (a) The investigation of all major crimes. (b) The investigation of all personnel matters for the (5) The investigation of gamb- ling and vice. | (d) The inspection of beats. jectly from the stands to the arena. Carbonell said he did. “We fence off the bleachers from the field,” Vicks said. “It keeps steers or horses from get- ting into the infield or the bleach- ers. Also we've got men on pick- | UP horses. These are quarter horses and the men who ride them are not jerks. They know how to handle stock.” Adams then wanted to know where the stock will be kept be- jinto effect all over the city and Tina Bayly, chaplain of the Arthur Hurka, president of the| (e) The inspection of Lieuten- tween performances, not just on Duval Street,” Car-\Sawyer Unit No, 28, American)Seat and a portable pump. son, they asked him “where she was.” (Leto has been separated from his wife for some time, it rted today). a woaaie replied that he didn’t know” they continued to torture him, Leto added that they continu- ally asked for ‘“‘that box of money.” Left Alone At one time they left him tied to (Continued On Page Eight) NOTICE Tryouts For “Mr. Roberts” Will Be Held Tonight, 8 o’Clock, At Home of Josef Hurka at 623 Angela Street |bonell said. But Mayor C. B, Harvey com- mented that the Duval Street has @ serious traffic problem, unlike some other parts of the city. Commissioner Jack Delaney moved adoption of the ordinance and Commissioner Paul R. Rob- erts seconded his motion. The com- mission voted 4-1 in favor of it, with Carbonell casting the only dis- senting vote. commission defer action on the or- dinance but his fellow commission- ers said that they preferred to take! positive action. After the vote, Commissioner (Carbonell said that “he wanted to: go on record as demanding that, the ordinance be enforced to the letter.” Earlier, he and another Duval Street merchant pointed out that private cars bearing delivery signs ihad bees parking on Duvad Street for long Periods of times. Delaney later suggested that the! Legion Auxiliary, At 5:30 a. m., the ; Capt. C. L. Murphy, USN, chief cutter Ariadne left here to assist of staff at the Naval Base here,aS necessary, was the principal speaker. | Meanwhile, another fishing ves- In his talk, Capt. Murphy told! sel, the 6S4eet Pink Gold, re- | how the United States graduated to| Ported it was disabled with a the ranks of world power as a re- broken fuel line in the engine. sult of the Spanish conflict. | The Pink Gold was 25 miles’ Saying that the Maine sinking northeast of Tortugas light in 16 touched off the fight with Spain, fathoms of water. The Coast Guard jhe added: he attempting to contact another } Successful War shrimper in the area to assist the “The war that followed was a ‘disabled vessel. |successful one, as far as we were) The CG-83403, and 83-foot cutter, concerned. It lasted 115 days, end-/W@S enroute to Tortugas light on ing Spanish rule, and therefore 4 logistics run and will tow the iforeign rule, in the Western hemi.|Pink Gold to Key West if neces- sphere. orale “Probably the most important) thing to develop from the Spanish. . American War.” he continued | Steel and Aluminum “‘was our purchase of Puerto Rico, tf Guam and the Philippine Islands Roofings at from Spain. Acquisition of the Pa- cific islands of Guam and the Phi- lippines made us a world power, (Continued ©n Page Eight) 120 Simonton near Weather is the suave Shepherd rson who swings rapidly through the paces from being a {stuffy tenant in the upstairs apart- jment to being a bewitched young man in love and being a disillu- \sioned and again stuffy ex-tenant. (Then, as the hero should in a com- ‘edy, he is again a young man in love, through the magic of true er Miss Eulalia Maria Figueredo, lived in’ Bayamo, Her grandfather owned a plan- tation and mill there where Cu- bans plotted the overthrow of | Spanish rule. The scroll presented to Mrs. Ladd reads: “The City of Ba: ants’ activities. : (f) The inspection of parking meter collection and re- pair. (zg) Making a daily report of activity to Chief of Police. “The Police Captain will work the usual number of hours but has no regular hours of duty. Steno-j yamo, through graphic help will be provided by | emotion. Hurka is an able actor its staff of officers of the Honor- the City Manager’s Office for dic- jand he handles his “Bell, Book able Lodge, Perucho Figueredo tating and typing the daily report. vand Candie” role with a practiced No. 29, feels deeply honored during He will be in uniform while en duty | ‘touch. Dofothy Caracciolo witches her way straight to the hearts of the lactive Aunt Queenie, who gets a ‘lot out of life through her minor |witchery. the centennial celebration of the birth of the Cuban liberator and leader, Jose Marti Perez, to have Maria Figueredo. “In view of this great event, Bayamo City, cradle of the Cuban as far as is consistent with the type of work he is doing. “3. Police Lieutenants (report- audience with her wonderful char- here with us in this land of her ing directly to the Chief of Police) acterization of the aging but still'glorious ancestors, to Mrs. Eulalia, (1) There shall be three Police |Lieutenants each responsible for a watch. They will rotate their wat- ches each month (rotating back- Soperfect is her portrayal of the'independence, renews the feelings wards.) role that one can almost believe that even as Dorothy Caracciolo, Creator of the Universe blesses her| las well as in the stage role, she'along with her husband, Paul/ ight be able to cast a little spell sorts on people she sees. Her, (Continued On Page Eight) of patriotism and craves that the |Ladd.” | Thirteen officers of the lodge \sigeed the scroll, (2.) Their duties shall consist of: a. Check men coming on duty. 1. Personal appearance 2. Brief on Police activities. b. Patrol entire City. | (Continued On Page Eight) Vicks drew a diagram of Wick- (Continued On Page Eight) MARTINEZ REFRIGERATION COMPANY 1024 DUVAL STREET WILL BE CLOSED ALL DAY TOMORROW Wednesday, February 17 In Order To Attend Frigidaire Convention In Miami The New 1954 FRIGIDAIRE Will Be Available Thursday {