The Key West Citizen Newspaper, March 8, 1954, Page 1

Warmest City ‘In Nation Today Was KEY WEST 60° THE * SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER IN THE The Key West Citisen U.S.A. For Use teach buyers and sellers— tenants or workers DIAL 2-5661 or 2-5662. Quick Communication, CLASSIFIED Ads! You'll - - Just VOL. LXXV No. 57 old high school senior, Saturday the American Le; the WINS DISTRICT SPEECH TITLE—Hilario Ramos, Jr., 17-year- i i night copped the district title in ‘s oratory contest. He will compete next in ea finals.—Citizen Staff Photo, Finch. Local Contestant Is Winner An Legion Oratorical Event Hilario Ramos, Jr., Bests Coral Cables Boy In Contest Here Seyenteen-year-old Hilario Ra- mos, Jr., Key West High School senior was acclaimed 10th District ‘American Legion champion orator Saturday evening at the Key West High School Auditorium when he triumphed over Ed Ludacer, 17, senior at Coral Gable High School in the 17th Annual American Le- gion Otatorical Contest, Ramos was the unanimous choice of the five judges in this contest.! This is the first time Key West has been the site of the 10th Dis- trict level of the contest. Ramos will represent Arthur Sawyer Post No. 28 in the South- ern Area Oratorical Contest which will be held at the Central Catholic School in Ft. Lauderdale, Friday, March 12, at 2:00 p, m. It is ex-) pected that several people from| Key West will attend this area level] of the contest. The judges for Saturday night’s contest, who were annouriced only after the competition~ had «been completed in accordance with con- test rules were: Juvenile Judge Eva Warner Gibson; Mrs. L. H. Goddard, prominent member of the Key West Players; The Rev. Ralph Rogers, president of the Key West Rotary Club; Lt. Cdr. Wilbur M. Laudenslager, U. S. Navy Chap-) lain; and Allen L, Hampton. All! five of the judges were in accord! | f Fund Is Stull On The Increase Other recent contributions in- clude $26 fom the Public Works Paint Shop at the Naval Station; Public works shop 07, $4; A, Fer- nandez, $5; a check for $25 from the Elks Lodge; $10 from Parado Tours; and from Richmond, India- na, a check for $10 from Janet R. Clements. The Disgdiertts will be flown to Miami tomorrow morning by George Faraldo and will leave there for New York aboard a Safe- way plane. Delores has an appointment on Thursday morning with Dr. Ramon Castro Viejo, New York eye spe- cialist. DeBary Man Kills Wife, Fails mitting almost duplicate score cards. H. E. (Hank) Day, was the of-! fical timekeeper and Mrs. Alice S.! Robinson and Frank Romaguyera were the official escorts, in their choice of the winner, sub-) In Suicide Try DELAND ®—A former Cincin- nati man told sheriff’s officers) here he used the only six bullets Little Delores 4 Members of the Navy Wives \Club collected approximately $100 at the Key West Kennel Club last | Saturday night for the benefit of ithe Little Delores Fund, it was an- jmouneed today. 5 P.M. Wednesday Is Deadline For There definitely will not be another extension of the auto- tag deadline. ‘That was the word today from Howard E. Wilson, county’ tax collector. The deadline for buy- ing 1954 license plates is 5 p. m. Wednesday. Wilson returned yesterday from Daytona Beach where he attended the annual meeting of the Tax Collectors Association. He said E. V. Fisher, state motor vehicle commissioner, told him there would not be another extension of the tag deadline. The association’s meeting was Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week. (Roosevelt Wins Endorsement As Candidate Calif. Democrats Name FDR’s Son On Second Ballot ANGELES Roosevelt, accused by his es- tranged wife of being a philan- derer, has won the endorsement of the Democratic party as its candidate for Congress in the 26th District, Prior to the endorsement by the 26th District Democratie Coun-| cil, made by acclamation on the second ballot, the 46-year-old in- surance executive said in a speech that he decided to enter the race to ‘obliterate’ charges against him and “slurs against the ideals of my father.” The eldest son of the late Presi- dent Franklin D, Roosevelt made no specific reference to his wife’s sensational separate maintenance suit, but he did say last night, “Personal questions are being used not only against me but against the Democratic party.” He added that the “questions” left him two choices, either to retire from public life, which he said would acknowledge “evidence of guilt and lack of courage,” or: “To come before the people and get elected to Congress and make a record which forever would be’ an answer to any smears the oppo- sition would make,” In her suit, Mrs, Romelle Roose- velt, 38, named three co-respon- dents and filed a letter signed by Roosevelt and admitting infideli- \ties with nine other women, He has denied all the charges, say- Legion notables at the contest he had to kill his 49-year-old wife| D8 he was forced to sign the letter were William J. Neale, the 10th District Commander of the Ameri-; can Legion; Billy Anderson, Past! district commander, and presently chairman of the 10th District Amer-| icanism Committee; Post Comman- der Bethel P, Johnson ‘of Arthur; Sawyer Post No. 28; Vance C.! Stirrup, past 10th District Com- mander and past Post Commander! of Arthur Sawyer Post No. 28; and Jack Deckin, chairman of the High} School Affairs Committee, and rep- Tesentative of the Lindley DeGar. mox Post No. 70, Coconut Grove.| Second Vice Commander Judson! Stephens, Chairman of the Ameri- ¢anism Committee for Arthur Saw- yer Post No. 28 presided over the contest. The winner was presented a beautiful cup by District Com- mander Neale. The winner said victory that he was “happy and Proud for the school and very glad that he had been given the oppor-! tunity to participate by the Arthur Sawyer Post of the American Le- following his in an argument over money, then —while her body lay in a closet) for two days—tried futilely to take his own life. Deputies Charles Murphy and Rip Cosper identified him as Jack Max, 54, owner of a small variety store at DeBary, a community 10 miles south of here. They quoted him. as saying he killed his wife Mildred on Friday morning and, after eating sleeping tablets, drinking disinfectant and cutting his wrist, lay unconscious in their house until Saturday aft- ernoon, Max, the officers reported he said, again took a sleeping potion but it made him ill. Then, he “got to thinking about my boy?’ (Mar- vin Max, of Cincinnati, jin 1945 to prevent his wife from |divoreing him and thus adding to |the burdens of his father as presi- dent, Eleven candidates originally |were in the running for the party’s |backing. But Roosevelt’s only ser- tious competition came from Jerry |Pacht, son of a former Suprior Court judge. Pacht trailed Roose- ivelt by only 12 votes on the first |ballot and finally lost by only 14| jon the second, when Roosevelt got |91—only one more than the 90 iFequired for endorsement, | However, after Roosevelt re- jceived 91 votes, Pacht moved that {the endorsement be made unani- jmous, The 197 delegates responded iwith a roar of applause. Prior to the balloting of the 11 son of ajaspirants, Jerry K. Harter, 35, an former wife) and decided to calliattorney, said he came “without Officers. Murphy said Max, ‘the benefit of a cocktail party for hosnitalized|the delegates.” He was alluding | here, is in poor condition and that to a party Roosevelt gave Satur-| no charges have been filed pend-'day night. ing outcome of his injuries. Another aspirant, Ned Redding, Although the store was closed)48, newspaper publisher, withdrew @ — James) KEY WEST, FLORIDA, MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1954 Puerto Rico Pushes Search Buying’54Tags |For “Big Four” Red Leaders 40 Nationalists, Six Comunists Netted In Raids By JULIO RIVERA SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico #— Pushing its drive against political trouble makers, the Puerto Rican government today sought the “Big Four” of the island’s Communist party and two Nationalist leaders still at large. Sweeping police raids over the weekend netted 40 Nationalist par- ty leaders and six Communists. All were jailed as possible sub- versives. The roundup was launched after last Monday’s at- tack by Nationalists in the U.S, ‘House of Representatives. The Reds were captured with- out violence in a second round of arrests yesterday. This was in contrast to the gunfire and tear gas attack when Nationalist chief Pedro Albizu Campos and five of his aides were routed out of his apartment Saturday, The four Communists being sought are Juan Santos Rivera, the party president, who had Moscow training; Juan Saez Corales, a local labor union organizer; Cesar Andeu Iglesias, former party president; and Pab- ‘lo Garcia Rodriguez, a Harvard- graduated lawyer. In custody as suelo Burgos de Saez, Corales; Jane Speed » 43, of Berkeley, Calif., Andreu’s wife; Mariano ‘Arroyo Zeppendfelt, Ra-| mon Mirabal, Cristino Perez and Felix Ojeda. the alleged Communists and Na- tionalists, jailed on $25,000 bail each, are being charged with vio- lating a local anti-subversive law. Authorities believe the Puerto Rican Communist party has less than 100 members but fear that it is tied in with the Nationalist ‘faction, which has several hundred Rico, and reportedly the Reds furnished some of the arms for the (Continued ©n Page Eight) Bridge Fisherman Causes Accident On Harris Viaduct A bridge fisherman caused an auto wreck yesterday but no one was injured. The accident occurred this way, according to George R. Bennett, State Highway patrolman: Albin J. Panek, 55, of Denver, Colo., was driving north on U. S. 1. As he droye his ’51 Chevrolet jon to Harris Viaduct, a fisherman stepped back into the highway. Panek swerved to his left across the center line and sideswiped a 1947 Ford being driven south by Frederick A, Losley, 27, of 506 \Elizabeth St. Bennett said considerable da- Mage was done to both cars. The fisherman who caused the) wreck left the scene before Ben- would have been charged with ob- structing traffic, HELD Atty. Gen. Jose Trias said both! followers, Both parties demand! complete independence for Puerto: ‘STRAND “ TWO EXTRA DAYS Tuesday and Wednesday, Mar. 9 - 10 Income Tax Office Sets Special Hours It was announced today that the local office of the Internal Revenue Service will maintain the following schedule between now and March 15, Monday, March 8 through Friday, March 12 + 8:30 a. m. to 6:15 p. m. Saturday, March 9 ~ 8:30 a. m, to 12:30 p. m. Monday, March 15 - 8:30 a. m. to midnight. Persons desiring information or assistance in the filing of their Federal Income Tax Re- turns, should visit the office, Room 201, Post Office Building, during these hours. Ike Discloses US. Give-Away reonet Program Totals Eisenhower told Congress today that in a little more than four reps the United States hae given sated 700,000,000 worth of guns, am-| Rede ate gealeees and other military equip- to strengthen fréé nations against the threats of Soviet power, The weapons supplied, he said, included 30,792 tanks and combat Ivehicles, 5,340 aircraft, 601 Navy. ivessels and two million small arms and machineguns. The figures he disclosed in the report on’ the mutual security pro- gram covered the period from the beginning of military assistance in October 1949 through last. Decem-| ber. He said that almost 50 per! cent of the total was shipped dur- ing 1953, The report pictured many na- tions as regaining economic health and depending less on American assistance, But the President asserted that “as long as the harsh threat to| world peace exists our country will continue to shoulder the heavy| obligations of world leadership.” He said that military assistance and economic aid programs, though constantly revised ‘cannot jbe drastically cut without undoing much of the rewarding success which has been so painstakingly and laboriously achieved.” The President said that in 1949 the United States financed about 35 per cent of its total exports! of non-military, goods and services| (Continued on Page Eight) City Commission Sets Special Meet this afternoon in special session at 5 o’clock in the city hall. Purpose of the meeting, City! nett arrived. Bennett said the man|Manager Victor Lang said, 1s to News which he said tried to make consider bids for a road building, machine, | 1:55 & 4:05 Night 6:15 & 8:25 AIR CONDITIONED OVER WASHINGTON ® — President} 3 Are! In Saturday Night Crash Ubana, Ohio, Woman Suffers Fractured Skull In Accident Three persons were injured, one ing in an automobile crash Roosevelt Boulevard and Street. || The crash also resulted in the | arrest of one of the drivers on a drunken driving charge, according, to police. i Patrolman Herman Conley said that the crash occurred when a ear driven by John Thompson, | 13th| 43A Sawyer Road, Sigsbee Park,' failed to grant the right of way to a vehicle driven by Robert W. McGill, 6701 Branch Avenue, Tam-| pa. The result was a headon colli- sion, Conley said. McGills’ car was heading west when the crash occurred, The injured were all passengers in McGill’s car. Most seriously hurt was Mrs, Richard Gumbert, of Urbana, Ohio. She was taken to Monroe General Hospital where she was found to be suffering from a fractured-skull, a cut over her lett eye and pogsib}» fractures \of*both legs. Her h suffered multiple contusions and abrasions while Mrs. Dorothy McGill receiv- ed burises in the crash. Hospital officials listed Mrs. Gumbert’s condition as good today. Charges of driving while intoxi-| cated, reckless driving and caus- ing an accident were lodged against Thompson. He was later released under $325 bond. No Injuries In Trailer Accident A car and the house trailer it was pulling ran off the road on| Sugarloaf Key, but no one was in-} jured, the Highway Patrol report- ed today. The accident happened at 12:30) p. m. Saturday, the highway pat- rol said, when the trailer hitch ap-| parently broke. The trailer rolled down the embankment and the car |spun around and rolled down beside the trailer, Neither vehicle over- turned. Velma Beyer, 40, of the Key West Trailer Court, was the driver, | the Highway Patrol said. Harris Explains Injured | Acting Governor Char Miami accounting firm to ¢ seas Road and Toll District reported. oday Demeritt Says He'll Welcome Investigation By Miami Firm E FIVE CENTS ley Johns today appointed a onduct an audit of the Over- books, The Associated Press Gov. Johns named the certified public accounting firm of Abess, Morgan, Altemus and Weinberg to cor- duct the investigation. “The governor told me our firm had been selected of them seriously Saturday even-| to remove any political stigma which might have been at} attached to an audit by state officials,” said Robert Mor- KEY WEST'S TRAFFIC BOX SCORE March Date jAccidents 15 14 Traffic Deaths __ sO. Traffic Injuries __ 6 18 Property Damage _$5,520 $33,936 Five weekend crashes sent Key West’s traffic accident rate soaring to a total of 114 for the year beginning January 1, Three persons, were injured over the weekend, one of them seriously. City officials fear that this year’s traffic toll will surpass the 1953 record of 474 accidents. And Key Westers are being hit in the pocketbook—the dam- age in .the five accidents amounted to $2,575. ‘ The Citizen is co-operating with city officials in a program to cut this year’s toll from an average of 40 mishaps per month to 20. Charles R. Butler, of the city’s public service depart- ment has prepared a large traf- fie map indicating the number of accidents this year as well as their type and location. Safe- ty minded citizens should study this map—and use care when driving through the danger ar- eas indicated on the map. The map is hung in the commission chamber at the city hall. ADM. HARTMAN WILL VISIT DESTROYERS Rear Adm. Charles C Hartman,) USN, commander of the Atlantic Fleet’s iestroye: “cree is Jue here Wednesday, the Navy announced! today. Adm. Hartman will arrive in his flagship, the USS Yosemite, a de- stroyer tender. During his three day stay he will visit the Seaplane Base and watch operations at sea from the USS Saufley, Sale Of Keys Acreage To Toll District Mgr. Sam E. Harris, 617 Ashe Street, was asked today about his selling acreage on Summerland Key to| Overseas Road and Toll District, and Harris used ‘strong language in denouncing the Miamt Daily} it appear that there was cone) ance between them in making the) sale. Here is Harris statement: died and had been unable to find) a buyer. ** ‘How much do you want for The City Commission will meet/Brooks Bateman, manager of the|it??” Brooks Bateman asked. “ ‘Fifth dollars an acre, the same price we got for the other part of it.’ ” “Pll buy it,’ Bateman said. “TI told him that Judge Lord was handling the matter for Mrs. Ma- lone and me, and that I would ; gan, a member of the firm. “He told me that there was no strings attached to |this audit. Our firm will have a free hand to exam- ine every phase of the Over- seas Highway and Toll Dis- trict. The governor specif- ically asked us to look for signs of fraud.” DeMerritt Pleased Anthony DeMerritt, chairman of the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District Commission said today that “he will welcome any inves- tigation of the commission to any extent and in any direction.” “I’m in favor of an¢ would hear- tily endorse any such investiga- tion — this thing has become a political football,” DeMerritt add- ed. DeMerritt made the statement jin answer to published reports of irregularities in the operation of the commission, which is respon- sible for the operation and maine tenance of 41-miles of toll roads along the Overseas Highway. Press Conference Saturday, DeMerritt and Brooks Bateman, general manager of the jdistrict conducted a two hour press conference at their Pigeon Key headquarters, At that time, they hit out sharply against stories in a Miami news- paper that the distrizt was slop- pily run. The charges ranged from reports that Bateman had refused to open his books for the press to stories of huge expenditures for luxury food items. Bateman denied emphatically that he had ever denied reporters any records that he had available. He pointed out that the detailed records of his office are sent to Tallahassee and that they. were available there for reporters, Surplus Claimed He said that during his five years jas general manager of the district, ‘a healthy surplus has been shown annually in road toli receipts, | He said that reporters came to ‘him for information that he did not have. Asked about the situation at Ba- hia Honda where the holder of the concession contract there is also carried on the district payroll as a painter, Bateman said that the man is responsible for the main- tenance of the building there as jwell as having the concession rights. It is a fulltime job keeping the concession facilities in shape for the public, he said, The concession was granted after public bidding, he declared. Swimming Pool When the questioning touched on (Continued On Page Eight) KWHS BAND IS DUE BACK HOME TODAY | The high school band is due to “The late William H. Malone,/speak to him. I spoke to Judgejreturn here from Havana late this lonetime mayor of Key West and|Lord, and he said he would write afternoon aboard the Antonio Ma- senator of this district, and 1 had|to Mrs. Malone about it. He wrote, /ceo, Cuban gunboat. owned 184 acres on Summerland|and Mrs. Malone and I agreed to) The band went to Havana last Key ever since 1927, We sold one-sell. The deed and the mortgage/Friday for its third annual appear- half of the tract, in 1940, to Rey-|papers were drawn up by Judge/ance in the opening of the carnival was, Inc., of Miami, for $50 an|Lord, and Attorney Julius Stone ex-/season there. : * acre. Malone owned two thirds of/amined the abstract for the com-| The Miami Edison High School the track and I one-third. He and|pany that was insuring the title|band and the Miami Motorcycle track up to shortly before his death, but was unable to find a buyer. to Judge Lord, and he gave me mine and gave Mrs. Malone hers, |I tried fo sell the remainder of the for Bateman. The checks were sent|Drill team also are aboard the Antonio Maceo, | gion in the contest.” H J zs + 5, = “After he died, Mrs. Rosetta) ‘Now thte gink who wrote the, ther to state that h prs Went fur- for the two days Max lay uncon- his candidacy through s telegram Malone, his widow, was even more'scrurrilous story for the Miami B.P.O. DOES, DROVE 89 (Continued On Pace acious in othe “ising yeraatpers },ot/™ arnich he saline ttt Seay Dec anxious to sell the tract, and Coun-|sheet knew that Mrs. Malone, Announces |the | store-front Lathe elepbors| 2) (Continued On recesRieh IN EmMaS coPp ty Judge Raymond Lord: and I)whose name appears first in the First Anniversary jaldn’é: report (aay tang =< mnueuals tried our hardest to find a buyer, deed, and I sold the property to : |Cosper said. wee u ives 5 vithout success. After a meeting Bateman, and had the aforesaid DINNER CLASSIC BALLET } Murphy said the couple mar-| HIGH CLASS FIR : without su g lof the Overseas Bridge Commis- gink looked up the mortgage, he 'sion at Pigeon Key three years would have learned that two-thirds ago, we were talking about Floridaof it was owned by Mrs. Malone. Keys acreage when I said that|/But that would have killed his Mrs. Malone and I owned a tract|story because he would learn the on Summerland Key we had been truth. He was not concerned in the trying to sell since Mr. Malone (Continued On Page Eight) Fri., March 12, 7:30 Elks Club Annex $1.50 Per Person TEL. 2-3654 BY. WED. FOR RESERVATIONS lried in Fort Lauderdale Jan. 19, /1953, after coming to Florida from| \Cincinnati. They opened the store} ‘last October. | They separated last month but she returned a few days later. Languages PRINCESS NINA Children and Adults TEL, 2-3161 LUMBER at Strunk Lumber 120 Simonton St., near Aquarium | xm