The Key West Citizen Newspaper, June 28, 1954, Page 1

Key West, Floride, has the most equable climate in the country, with on average range of only 14° Fahrenheit VOL. LXXV Ne. 153 Knight Is Installed By Jaycees Annual Dinner Held Saturday In La Concha Harry Knight, 8615 Ave- nue E, was installed as presi- dent of the Key West Junior Chamber of Commerce for the coming year at their an- ‘nual installation dinner in the La Concha Hotel Satur- day night. - County Clerk Earl Adams, who organized the Junior Chamber and served as its first president in 1939, was the installing officer in cere- monies held before more than 100 Jaycees and distinguished guests at the dinner, Sam Collins, who has served as president of the or- ganization for the past year, pre- sided. as toastmaster. Special Speaker ‘The gathering also heard an. ad- dress fy H. T. “Dutch” Shulen- berger, Miami attorney and insur- ance executive. sna aah bi \ddress spiced with humor, u: a tis theme “The Profits of Doom.” He urged Jaycees to throw off any attitude of pessimism and adopt a “can-do attitude.” He cited frequent rumors of re- cession as a result of such pessim- ism. “We should adopt an aggressive attitude in every field of endeavor ‘and work for a better world,” he said, the e cert, Other ‘officers cers ingfalled vice president in charge of intern- al affairs and Jim Keen, viee president in charge of external af- J. W. Smith was named as cor- responding secretary and Kenneth Knowles was installed as record- ing secretary, Mervin Thompson is the new treasurer of the organi- zation, Sam Collins, Joe Durbin, Bob Youmans, Fito Lastres, Dick Hor- ton and Bud Parker were installed as members of the board of direc- tors. Mervin Thompson was honored with presentation of the “Key Man” key as the Jaycee who con- tributed most to making Jaycee (Continued on Page Two) Warner Comments Further On City Dump Situation In a statement to The Citizen today, W. W. Warner, director of the Monroe County Anti-Mbs-"| quito District, gave further ex- planation to the proposed sani- tary land fill to be operated at the city dumps site. “The article in Saturday’s Citi- zen,” Warner stated, “may have een interpreted as somewhat) antagonistic and I merely want it known that negotiations be- tween the city and the Mosquito District have been very pleas- ant.” ; “The reason for the delay is that the adoption of the city budget is still pending,” Warner declared. He added that adop- tion of the budget should take place soon. The article Warner was com- menting on said that the pro- posal of the Mosquito District is to operate a sanitary fill land at the site of the city dump. State funds in the amount of 75 cents for every dollar appropriated from local sources can be secured for this operation. a Warner pointed out that this type of operation would elimin- ate open garbage pits and the ne- cessity of burning refuse. All Garbage would be covered up nightly, thereby eliminating con- ditions favorable for flies, rodents and all vermin associated with open dump si STORM-SAFE Shutter and Roofing Material Strnk Lumber 120 SIMONTON, near Docks THE SCUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER KEY WEST, FLORIDA, JAYCEE PREXY INSTALLED—Harry Knight (right) is shown during. ceremonies in which he ‘was installed as the new president of the Key West Junior Chamber of Commerce Saturday night in the La Concha Hotel. County Clerk Earl R. Adams, first president of the Jaycees, hands him the gavel, as outgoing president Sam Collins (left) looks on. Sunken Sub Story Was Just A Rumor Another rumor was knocked in the head today. Duval Street scuttlebutt had it that the Petrel, a submarine rescue vessel, steamed out of here yesterday to help raise a sub that sank off the Caro- ling coast. The Navy here said the Petrel was enroute to assist the submarine Albacore. The sub’s engines broke down off Cape Canaveral while the boat was enroute to New London. There is no report of a sunk- Flood Victims LANGTRY, Tex., June 28 ( — Unconfirmed but reliable reports of new cloudbursts sent helicopters into the air despite severe flying weather as. dawn broke today— seeking to free several hundred persons trapped by floods in this Mexican-U.S. border area. An estimated 410 persons—150 on the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Sunset Limited — were trapped. About 116 train passengers were taken off last night. Maj. William Hughes, in charge of one group of the 14 helicopters, said he had reports he believed were accurate that from 8 to 10 inches of rain had fallen overnight in the drainage area above this tiny, famous town, and above Del Rio, 60 miles south. Laughlin Air Force Base at Del Rio is the opera- tions base for the helicopters. Danger Noted Maj. Hughes said there was dan- ger higher water in Devil’s River, between Del Rio on the south and Langtry and Comstock to the north might cut off Comstock. The rescued train riders have been flown from Langtry to Com- stock and have taken buses from there to Del Rio. If Comstock is cut off, it means longer, time con- suming trips for the helicopters. Maj. Hughes said Devil's River already was higher than he ever had seen it. He said the aircraft took off in a rain and into a low overcast this (Continued on Page Two) Miss Truman Is Reassured On Dad’s Condition | BINGHAMTON, N.Y. —Mar- garet Truman, assured that ner ailing father, former President Harry S. Truman, was “resting well,” plans to go on with the show tonight. Miss Truman, getting her first experience in summer stock, ar- | | tainhome, Pa., with the company of the play, ‘Autumn Crocus.” | father was “resting well.” to it.” rived here yesterday from Moun- She told newsmen that she had |checked with her Missouri home after her arrival and was told her Asked her plans in view of his illness, Miss Truman said “we will cross that bridge when we come Story Told Of Escape From Burning Plane Passengers Suffer Rope Burns In. Slide To Safet; ¥ Fn COLUMBUS, Ohio John G. Rankin ate breakfast today with just his right hand. His left hand was still wrapped in heavy band- ages from friction burns received last night when he and 30 other passengers slid down a rope from a burning American Airlines plane that crash-landed after colliding with a Navy Beechcraft here. Two Naval Reserve officers died in the crash. Rankin, 54-year-old, Louisville, Ky., employe of a fishing tackle firm, slid to safety after a woman passenger stalled in front of him, afraid of the 25-foot rope plunge. “Lady,” he told her, “we've got to go.” He said he grabbed her with his right arm and slid down the rope by his left hand. He suffered severe hand burns. Eyewitness Account Eyewitnesses on the ground said the Navy plane exploded in a “ball of fire,” spattering burning debris in the dusk, then crashed just east of the Port Columbus Airport. The dead were identified as Lt. Cmdr. John R. Hoerath, 35, of nearby Westerville and Lt. Cmdr. Donald G. Edgar, 48, of Columbus. Capt. J. C. Pollard, 32, of Nash- ville, pilot of the American Air- lines passenger Convair, brought his ship safely to earth. Its wings were flaming from gasoline spilled in the crash and the left engine was torn loose. Crippled and burning, the Con- vair skidded across the Port Co- lumbus runway on its nose. Trapped inside by a damaged exit door up front near the nose, the passengers and three crew (Continued on Page Two) Newsmen Escape As Plane Crashes | TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (R— Two U.S. correspondents for Time and Life magazines were reported to have escaped unhurt yesterday from the crash of a small plane at Esquipulas, Guatemala. | ‘The newsmen were Robert Lu- \bar, chief of the magazines’ Mex- ico City bureau, and George Silk, photographer. U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Whiting Willauer said he had cabled U.S. Air Force headquar- ters in Panama, asking for an air rescue team to get the two men out Their plane reportedly crashed at the airstrip in Esquipulas, the first Guatemalan town taken by Col. Carlos Castillo Armas’ rebel Arbenz Resigns, Turns Over Guatemala Gov't To Army - Chief Of Staff Pledges To Continue War Against Rebels By JACK RUTLEDGE GUATEMALA (#—Leftist Pres- ident Jacobo Arbenz Guzman re- signed under the presstire of the atmy and military rses last night. He handed over the govern- ment reins to a military junta headed -by Col. Carlos Enrique sar] ‘year-old. army. chief of Diaz in a, browdcast pledged the army,to cotiticde the vcr against the “Invading exiles led by Col. Carlos Castillo Armas, but the switch in government appeared to signal the end of the’ Communists’ strong influence on the regime Ar- benz had led. Army leaders are known to have become increasingly opposed recently to the Reds’ strong influence on the govern- ment. Rebel Advance Told The ouster of the 41-year-old Arbenz followed reports of a big rebel victory at Zacapa, key rail- road center 75 miles northeast of the capital. Army forces, particu- shattered there. News of the army reverses was followed by a rising tide of popular support for the rebels, whose “Radio Liberation” had called Saturday for the armed forces to revolt, jail Arbenz and form a military junta to negotiate a cease- fire. With the rebels reported last night some 70 miles from the cap- ital and moving on it, the battle |for Guatemala was expected here |to end within 48 hours. The Com- munists, backed by hastily armed and trained labor groups, were ex- pected to try to keep up the fight, however. Washington View (Diplomats in Washington spec- ulated that the army takeover was a maneuver to give the military a chance to negotiate the best terms it could from Castillo Armas and his rebel forces. In Teguci- Zalpa, capital of neighboring Hon- duras, U.S. Ambassador Whiting Willauer said the change looked to him like “a maneuver to get themselves into a position where it will not be an unconditional sur- render. (Luis Coronado, secretary gen- eral of the rebel provisional gov- ernment proclaimed by Castillo Armas, said in Tegucigalpa that the rebel fight would contime “with redoubled impetus unless the resignation of Arbenz ‘means the acceptance of our ultimatum ad the turning over of the government to insurgent leader Castillo Armas.) Mass Defections Arbenz’ resignation climaxed a day of mass defections from bis cause by leading Cabinet ministas, army officers and others who fed to the Salvadorean Embassy in Guatemala City for refuge: Throughout the day the’ capjal (Continued on Page Two) CLASSIC BALLET PRINCESS NINA Arthur Murray's Air Conditioned Studio invaders and the rebel headquar- ters for a time last week. S17 DUVAL ST. PHONE 2.340 larly their artillery, were reported | ful. MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1954 IN THE U.S. A. Che Key West Citis PRICE FIVE CENTS Case Against Bateman. Cothron Opens Today Filed On City Commission Meets Tonight The city commission will con- vene tonight at 8 p.m. for a meeting which was twice re- cessed:. because of lack of.. a quorum. Among the business to be. discussed, is a resolution ap- proving expansion program of the city Electric System, and another requesting the federal government to allow the Poinciaha Housing project to be returned to owners of land on which it stands . A representative of the Car- ibbean Ferry System is also expected to be present to dis- cuss a lease agreement for the city-owned Clyde-Mallory docks for use as a ferry term- inal with the commissioners. Last Scheduled Talk Is On In Capital They'll Press For Asia Defense Plan WASHINGTON (#—President Ei- hower and Prime Minister Churchill declared today they will “press forward with plans for col- lective defense” of Southeast Asia, regardless of whether peace nego- tiations or Indochina ar success- In a communique, they also ex- pressed “conviction that further delay” in the creation of a Euro- pean Defense Community and granting of sovereignty to West Germany “would damage the sol- idarity of the Atlantic nations.” This was a prod for France to get. on with ratification of EDC. On another major point, the American and British leaders joint- ly declared that “both our coun- tries would benefit” from ‘“tech- nical cooperation” on atomic en- ergy to the fullest extent permitted by United States law. First Formal Report | The communique was the first | formal statement out of the four-| day round of talks here on British- American policy diferences. It left unanswered the critical | question of when an international conference to create a Southeast Asia anti-Communist alliance might be called. This has been a major issue, with Britain wanting no such defi- nite action pending a conclusion of present French efforts to negotiate peace in Indochina. The United States on the other hand desired quick action. The communique ap- peared to bear out reports on con- tinued disagreement by failure to! report any agreement. | “We are both convinced,” the |communique said, “that if at |Geneva the French government is | confronted with demands which | (Continued on Page Two) Judge Upholds Libel Charge NEW YORK #—Federal Judge | Edward Weinfeld told a jury today |that columnist Westbrook Pegler Manslaughter Charge Navy Man Navy, Sheriff's Department Still Face Stalemate A stalemate between the Navy and the sheriff’s de- partment was intensified to- day when a manslaughter charge was filed against a second Navy man in connec- tion with a fatal automobile accident last Wednesday. Peace Justice Roy Ham- lin ‘issued today’s warrant against Edward Peter Quick, 28, of the USS Sea Dog after a sheriff’s deputy signed a complaint that he “was op- erating the car in a reckless and wanton manner” when an accident occurred in which a 24-year-old Miami Beach model met her death. But the sheriff’s department may have considerable trouble serving the warrant on Quick who is in the Naval Hospital for treatment of injuries incurred in the crash, un- less they comply with’a Navy reg- ulation which states that they must sign a document, stating that they will return Quick to the Navy, no matter what the outcome of the manslaughter trial. Similar Situation The same situation occurred on June 15 when another Navy man, Ray E. Drake, of the Seaplane Base, was charged with man- slaughter in connection with an accident in which a Navy wife was killed. The Navy refused to surrender Drake until the sheriff's department signed the form. State Attorney General Richard Ervin has ruled, however, that the sheriff's department does not have the authority to sign such a doc- ument. Drake is still under Naval juris- diction, and the case is now stale- mated. Reports that a representative of the Navy’s Judge Advocate’s of- fice in Washington is flying, here to look into the situation are un- founded, Navy officials said here today. They confirmed the fact (Continuea on Pzge Two) KEY WEST'S TRAFFIC BOX SCOR June To Date Accidents 262 Traffic Injuries .. 4 50 Traffic Deaths 0 0 Property Damage $9,4056 $68,261 Six weekend crashes have sent Key West’s traffic toll up to 36 accidnets and a total of $9,405 in property damage. But that is not the whole picture—consider the pain and suffering of the seven persons who were injured on the city’s streets this month—and the time they have lost from their jobs. One of the accidents: occur- on Patterson Ave. and First when a trailer broke loose and struck two cars. Last week, there was a serious accident on the Overseas Highway, caused when a boat trailer broke loose and struck a car in which two school teachers were riding. How about it boatmen (and % clearly had libeled Author Quentin Reynolds in a 1949 column. He said Reynolds was entitled to damages. It will be up to the jury to deter- mine the amount. 5 _ The judge made the statement in a 90-minute charge to the jury in Reynolds’ $550,000 libel action against Pegler, the Hearst Corp. and Hearst Consolidated Publica- tions, Inc, everyone else who uses a trail- er, let’s be sure that they are securely fastened so we can prevent these accidents. Another mishap, resulting in one injury, was caused by a bicycle going- against traffic. Now that the schools are out for the summer, let’s use special care by. keeping our eyes open for cyclists. Nine Of 14 Counts Are Dropped As Case Begins In Criminal Court By DENIS SNEIGR Nine of the 14 counts charging grand larceny agains ped by the state. Brooks Bateman and Alonzo Cothron today were drop Cothron, wealthy contractor, is charged with grand iarceny in the theft of Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District funds. Bateman, former general manager of the district, is charged with aiding and abetting Cothron. Albury Is Already Through With’Em William V. Albury, one of the defense attorneys for Brooks Bateman and Alonzo Cothron, drew a big laugh in criminal court today. Judge Thomas S. Caro ask- ed the defense attorneys and the prosecution if the witnesses were wanted in court tomor- row early for questioning be- fore the trial begins at 9:30 a.m. Albury said. with a grin: “As far as | am concerned, they can go away and stay away.” Newton Makes Oil Discovery In Indiana Drilling In Ohio Valley Reported In News Stories E. L. Newton, of Key West, has made an important oil sand dis- covery in a wei: he is drilling in Posey County, Ind., according to word received here. Newton lives here part of the year with his wife, Jessie, at 410 Caroline St. According to newspaper clip- pings sent to The Citizen, the oil well is producing 168 barrels per day from 2,300 feet. Importance of Well Jerry Robertson, who writes an oil news column in the Evansville (Ind.) Press, wrote: “This well is important because it’s over a mile from other wells in the same pay, and the fact that! the Cypress is usually a blanket sand strata that has in other parts of the Wabash-Ohio valleys proven! a prolific petroleum producer.” Newton brought in a 1600-bar- rel gusher in 1938 to start the Birk City pool. Offer Drilling Right According to The Owensboro, (Ky.,) Inquirer, Newton also has a lease in the Lower Ohio River which gives him drillipg rights in the location of anotfer well his | company owns. The lease runs from the middle of the river to the low water mark on the Indiana shore. It runs from the southwest corner of Wabash Island upstream 10 miles toward Mt. Vernon and is owned by the Ohio River Co., of which Newton is president. Newton also is president of the Hoosier Drilling Co. Two Are Injured In Traffic Crash Two persons were injured Sun- day night when their car went out of control and struck a sign post and palm tree at Flagler Avenue and Reynolds Street, police have reported. The driver of the car, identified as Frank Young, of the Naval Sta- tion, was taken to the Naval Hos- pital suffering from a possible frac- tured arm. A passenger in the car, John Smith, also of the Naval Sta- tion, was treated for severe cuts on his forehead and face. Young was charged with driving while intoxicated, according to the pins of Patrolman Edward Ram- The information filed by John Marsh, Dade County solicitor appointed by the governor to handle the in- vestigation of the district, charged the men with the theft of $49,727.09 in toll district funds. Marsh this morning told Judge Thomas §. Caro in Criminal Court that nine of the counts — one and seven through 14 — had been dropped. That leaves Cothron and Bate- man charged with the theft of $18,792.50. The case opened in Criminal Court at 10 a.m. today but nek ther Bateman or Cothron wa present. “No Official Notice” William V. Albury, who, with Enrique Esquinaldo, Jr. is de fending the two men, told the court he had not received official notice of the trial date. “As we read about it in- the ‘mewspapers,” he said; “the case was set for June 29, but we re- ceived no official notice of the trial.” After hearing motions and swearing in witnesses, the trial was recessed until 9:30 a.m. to- morrow. When court opened this morn- ing, Marsh was on hand along with one of his Miami assistants, A. C. Dressler, and Bob Youmans, acting Monroe County solicitor, Allan B. Cleare, Jr., county solici- tor, is ill. Motion By Albury Albury opened proceedings with a motion to quash the in- formation. Judge Caro denied this motion after hearing arguments from Albury and Marsh. Albury contended Acting Gov- ernor Charley E. Johns was not authorized by state law to ap- Point Marsh to handle the inves- tigation. “The governor can assign a county solicitor from some other county,” Albury said, “but only as an assistant to the regular county solicitor. Cleare Not Disqualified “Unless,” he added, “the county solicitor is disqualified. Cleare was not disqualified or removed by the governor. The county solicitor was ready and willing to perform his duties. The governor could have called on Cleare to perform these duties.” Albury’s motion also said that Marsh must take the oath as county solicitor but that he has not be- cause he can’t. “He was not elected county soli- citor by the people of Monroe County,” Albury declared. “For those reasons,” Albury added, “the information should be quashed.” Cites State Law Marsh cited state law to show that the governor can appoint a special prosecutor “and that I am qualified.” Albury further said that the in- formation is vague and indefinite, even with the bill of particulars. Quoting from his motion to quash the information, Albury said “the bill of particulars is not of such particularity as to apprise the de- fendants of the acts as charged.” After the motion to quash was denied by Judge Caro, Marsh an- (Continued on Page Two) Power Lawnmowers FOR RENT BY THE HOUR OR DAY POINCIANA SERVICE STATION ‘ow, Poinciana Place