The Key West Citizen Newspaper, July 1, 1954, Page 1

Xey West, Florido, has the For Quick Communication, most equable climate in the Use CLASSIFIED Ads! You'll country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit VOL. LXXV No. 156 Toll District Commission Is R Cothron And Bateman Are Found Not Guilty Six-Man Jury Frees Pair On Larceny Charge By DENIS SNEIGR As expected, The Big Ex- pose laid an egg. The time was 3:48 p. m. yesterday when the six-man jury filed into. the court room, The verdict was handed to Criminal Court Judge "Thomas S. Caro. He handed it to Harry Dongo, clerk of the court. To a hushed room of spectators, Dongo read the not guilty verdict that sent Alonzo Cothron and Brooks Bateman home as free men, Cothron, a contractor, and Baie, former gi ‘al manager tha Overseas oad and Toll Bridge District, arose from their seats at. the counsels’ table and shook hands with each of the jurors. Grand Larceny Charge Cothron and Bateman had been with grand larceny. wn a ia contended that Cothron billed the toll district for work he had not done and that Bateman knowingly okayed pay- ‘of the: — bills. Bateman said: oP ak want to thank everybody for what they’ve done for me. The jury couldn’t truthfully have brought in any other verdict.” Said Cothron: “Tt was the only thing to do. ‘We knew this would be the result. “It was an honest verdict by an honest jury. I want to thank all my Key West friends for their confidence in me.” Then the two men left the court house for their homes — Bate- man to Marathon and Cothron to Islamorada. Marsh Goes Home John Marsh went home, too — back to his job as Dade County solicitor. So did James McEwen. He was ‘on the last plane out of here yes- terday, headed for Tampa and his job there as state’s attorney. Both men had been appointed as special investigators by Acting Governor Charley E. Johns to ‘ probe the affairs of the toll dis- trict. Earlier yesterday, lawyers for both sides had summed up their eases before the jury. William V. Albury, one of the defense attorneys, apparently made a telling point when he told the jurors that what the state contend. ed were excess payments by the district to Cothron were in realiy merely overtime payments. State's Contention The state contended that Coth- Ton billed the district for 10 hours work per day six days a week, when only nine hours were worked on weekdays and five on Satur- days. Albury said that was true. But that the extra hours pay on week- days and the extra five hours pay on Saturdays were overtime — double time on Saturdays. He pointed out that the pay- (Continued on Page Nine) City Commission To Meet Tonight The city commission will meet tonight in special session at 8 p.m. to consider the annual budget. The latest ferry proposal submit- ted by the Caribbean Ferry Sys- tem Inc., will also be aired, it was indicated today. Although it has not been an- nounced officially, it is believed the commission will meet as the Epual- ization Board, as well. LOOKS GOOD — LASTS LONG Good Red Cypress FROM Strunk Lumber 120 Simonton Street, near Docks THIRTY-FIVE YEARS SERVICE—Mrs. Iva McDerm-*+ Ken West Citisen .THE SCUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER KEY WEST, FLORIDA, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1954 Shift Of Monies To SRD Is Back Of Reinstatement TALLAHASSEE (AP). —Acting Gov. Johns an- nounced today that he is dissolving the suspension orders against the seven members of the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge Au- thority, ousted from office in April on charges of mis- managing the toll highway linking Miami and Key ial who has had thirty-five years continuous service witb Southern Bell System in Key West. receives her service pin trom C. T. McKinney, Florida traffic superintendent. The ceremony was held in the lounge at the phone building yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock. McKinney said that it was most unusual to present f. to personnel who had spent their entire service in itizen Staff Photo by Sybil. ie Havana Radio Is Friendly To Key West July Program Will Be Dedicated To The Island City Last December a number of top radio announcers from Havana were entertained by the City of Key West. Among them was Manolo Iglesias and his wife, Veliz, who were en- tertained by Mr. and Mrs. Enrique Esquinaldo, Jr., during their stay here. The Esquinaldos were in- vited to Havana for a return visit with Mr. and Mrs. Iglesias, and since then many visits have follow- ed with a warm friendship result- ing. Since the visit of the radio an- nouncers to Key West’ scarcely a day has passed without ‘Cayo Hueso” being mentioned many times over the Havana airwaves. | Special Program During the Esquinaldos’ last visit to Havana, Iglesias conceived the notion of dedicating a program of “La Taberna de Pedro” to Key West. This program presents a sort of cabaret which is supposedly moved every day from one city to another all over the island of Cuba. For a whole week now Serapio, ne of the comics in the program as been yelling, “I want to go to Key West, Pedro!” Because of this interest, it has! been decided that sometime during the first part of July, “‘La Taberna de Pedro” will be broadcast as if it were originating in the Esquin- aldo home in Key West. This program is presented over CMQ daily except Sunday at 11 a.m. The exact date of the sup-/ posed Key West program will be announced soon. Slight Damage Caused In Fire A fire which broke out in the Star Coffee Mill, Greene Street, | last night caused only slight dam- age, Fire Chief Charles Cremata said today. Firefighters theorize that the blaze, which started in a doorway of the frame building, was caused Demeritt ‘Elated’ On Reinstatement Anthony Demeritt, chair- man of the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge’ District Commission which was rein- stated by Acting Governor Charley Johns, said today that he has received no of- ficial notification that the commission was put back on the job. When he was told of The Associated Press dispatch from Tallahassee, Demeritt said: “I'm very elated that the situation worked out the way it did. It was the only thing the government could have done to correct the in- justice to the commission. I'm sure the other members will be very happy about it and will work to clear up Dis- trict affairs.” Hilario Ramos, only other mmeber of the commission who could be reached today. said that he “would rather withhold comment until he receives official notification.” Wanted Sailor Sent To Jax Edward Peter Quick, 23-year- old sailor faced with a man- |slaughter charge, is being trans- ferred temporarily to the Naval Hospital at Jacksonville. Capt. C. L. Murphy, Chief of Staff, today said Quick was being transferred from the Naval Hos- pital her to Jacksonville for fur- |ther medical treatment which he can not get here. “He then will be returned jhere,” Capt. Murphy said. Model Killed The manslaughter ‘charge plac- jed against Quick grew out of an| auto crash on Cudjoe Key in! jwhich a 24-year-old Miami} ;Beach model was killed. | | The sheriff's department says | | Quick was the driver of the car| |in which she was riding when} the car overturned. Another sailor, Ray E. Drake, jalso faces a manslaughter charge under similar circum- stances in another auto crash. The Navy has refused to sur- render Drake until civil authori- | ties sign an agreement that the West. Johns said he is lifting the suspension so the au- thority could transfer to the State Road Department properties and money held in the name of the toll read commission. The authority holds title to rights of way, bridges, Pigeon Key, a large fleet of automobiles, trucks and road machines and a radio station. The property holdings are worth many millions of dollars. $40,000 Fund In addition, there is a $40,000 revolving fund held in the author- ity’s name in a bank and only the authority is authorized to draw checks against it. This fund was used by the authority to pay its operating expenses. i Road Department has ng the Overseas High- way sincé suspension of the au- thority. One of the first acts-of the road department after taking charge-of the highway was to free it of ne Sufficient money is held by the ‘Stute Board oi> i ¥ Ww pay off the bonds floated to fi- mance construction of the Overseas Highway. The bonds will be paid Title To SRD off Oct. 1. Once the bonds are paid off, full title to the highway and other Properties held by the authority will revert to the road depart- ment. However, road department spokesmen said, reinstatement vf the authority members will simpli- fy the transfer. Brooks Bateman, who was dis- charged as general manager of the toll district after suspension of the authority and Alonzo Cothron, a contractor, were indicted on charg- es of grand larceny by a grand jury which investigated the toll commission’s operations. They were acquitted yesterday by a Monroe County Circuit Court jury. Walkout May Cripple US. Phone System CIO Equipment Installers Strike Early Today. NEW YORK #—Some 17,000 CIO telephone equipment installers struck the Western Electric Co. today, touching off a walkout which could cripple the nation’s telephone system. A union spokesman announced shortly after 6 a.m., “The strike is on.” Joseph Dunne, director of Dis- trict 10, CIO Communications Workers of America, announced earlier that the strike would start as scheduled after talks broke down between company and union | officials. The breakup of the negotiation meeting dashed hopes of a last- minute settlement when Western | Electric raised its wage offer. Affects 44 States The walkout could crippie the nation’s telephone system. It af-! fects telephone operations in 44 states and the District of Columbia. | States not involved, a union spokes- man said, are Maine, Vermont, |New Hampshire and Wyoming. Late last night Western Electric, manufacturing arm of the Bell | Telephone System, offered a gen-} eral hourly pay boost of from 4 to 7 cents. The company’s pre- vious offer had been 4 to 6 cents. The union, whose contract ex- when somebody tossed a lighted |sailor will be returned to the|pired May 2, has been demanding cigarette butt away. Engines from the Main Fire Sta- tion and Number Three Station answered the alarm. Navy at the end of his trial or completion of his sentence at no expense to the Federal govern: | ment. 6 to 8 cents more an hour. Cur- rent wages average $1.86. At the conclusion of this morn- (Continued on Page Nine) @ Citizens’ P IN THE U.S. teach tenants or workers DIAL 2-5661 or 2-5662. buyers and sellers— - » Just PRICE FIVE CENTS einstated City To Keep The Door Open For Ferry Deals Chieftains Differ On Peace Settlement For Guatemala Larceny Trial Lacked Color, Had Oratory You Couldn’t Even Bet On The Outcome By JIM COBB Reporters assigned to dig up color stories on the Bateman- Cothron “grand larceny’ trial which ended yesterday, found it pretty tough scratching. Tue proceedings had about as much color as a week-old oyster. The trial resembled a civil case more than anything else with in- voices, checks and time books bearing dry-as-dust figures, being | passed back and forth by the law | yers, which prompted Judge Caro | 3 “These| aS Monzon’s. junta rushed troops to tell the — prosecution: jurors aren’t bookkeepers.” The trial attracted few spectators despite the mountains of publicity it received in mainland newspap- ers. But even if the public didn’t get excited about it, the mainland Papers did — at one point there were five reporters and two photo- graphers on the job. They spent most of their time yawning and beefing about Key West juries. Oratory Starts The few diehard spectators who did stick it out had to wait a long time for the usual spirited oratory to get underway. Award for the choicest oratory of the afternoon should go to A. C. Dressler, who assisted Dade Coun- ty Solicitor John Marsh. Mr. Dress- ler is an orator of the hell-fire and brimstone school. He made what most courtroom observers felt was a frank appeal to the emotions of the jury, point- (Continued on Page Nine) Rebel Leader And Junta Head Hold Long Discussion SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador ®—Guatemala’s rival anti-Com- munist chieftains haggled until nearly dawn today in a vain effort to agree on a peace settlement which would give their war-split land its fourth government in a week. The peace talks between rebel | Col. Carlos Castillo Armas and Col. Elfego Monzon, head of Guate- mala’s new governing junta, broke jup at 3:35 a.m. Castillo Armas | announced he, was returning to his rebel headquarters at Chiquimula. In a statement issued to news- ; men, both leaders said they were extending until 9 a.m. tomorrow the cease-fire in effect between the rebels fod the Guatemalan army. El Salvador’s President Oscar Osorio, acting as mediator, voiced optimism that a settiement could be reached. Peace Looks Remote But real peace seemed remote |to Communist strong points in Guatemala where vengeful Red leaders were reported trying to foment peasant uprisings. Red- | indoctrinated farm workers were said to be inciting revolt in Es- |cuintla, Pinula and Concepcion, | hotbeds of communism about 30 | miles from Guatemala City. | Monzon declined to say whether ‘he was returning to. the Guate- malan capital, but it was believed generally he would. The joint statement said the | cease-fire had been extended in order to give both parties time to consider and study various propos- jals to reach an accord.” Neither side would disclose what proposals were involved nor what particular point cause disagree- ment. Secret Session After the two colonels held their ‘initial two-hour secret session last feel very optimistic. I believe they (Continued On Page Nine) jevening, Osorio told newsmen: “I) City Commission To Discuss Caribbean Ferry System Bid The Caribbean Ferry System, of Miami, appears to have the inside track in the race to start automobile and passenger ferry service between Key West and Cuba. The company, only one of the three bidders with a boat that is anywhere near operating condition and to offer a definite starting date for thrice-weekly service, is seeking to lease the city-owned Clyde-Mallory dock for use as a Key West terminal Maintenance Is Ended For Poinciana Local Housing Authority Is Relieved Of Responsibility The Key West Housing Authority has been instructed to cease main- tenance operations on 319 housing units in the West Poinciana and Poinciana Extension projects, it was announced today. The housing was sold yesterday by the Public Housing Adminis- tration in Washington, to the own- ers of the land on which they were built, the Key West Improve- ment Co. and the Key West Realty Co. for an undisclosed sum. Report Confirmed Vance C. Stirrup, executive di- rector of the local housing au- thority confirmed today reports that his agency is no longer re- sponsible for maintaining the pro- ject. “We were notified from Atlanta that our responsibility for the units ended as of today and’ that we were to do no further main- tenance work,” Stirrup said. He added, however, that the local housing authority would col- lect rent “from anyone who wants to pay it.” The money, he said, would be turned over to the new owners. Stirrup emphasized — that (Continued on Page Nine) the BACK HOME IN INDIANA—these vacationers will be after a tour in the Everglades, then to New Orleans and San Antonio. They arrived in Key West yesterday in this 1916 Buick, which travels at the speed of 70 M.P.H. and gets 17 miles per gallon of gas. They are, left to right. Charles Cockerhan, James Towns, August Cockerhan and Russell Theobold-—Citizen Staff Photo by Sybil. 4 But a citizen’s committee formed at the suggestion of the Cham- ber of Commerce, voted yesterday at their second meeting, to recom- mend that the city keep the door open to other companies with ferry proposals, by not granting an ex- clusive lease to any one firm. The committee voted 5-0 on the question with Mel Levitt, president of the Key West Motor Cour Asso- ciation and Cuban, Consul Oscar Morales abstaining. The other members of the committee, Paul J. Sher, Louis Carbonell. Joe Al- Jen, Wiliam Freeman ahd Mary Lee Graham voted in favor of not giving an exclusive lease to the dock. Later, a motion put forth by Levitt asking that the city do everything possible to encourage a ferry service, was passed. Siruge Asks Time At an earlier meeting, the com- mittee had expressed fear that the city might tie themselves up with an inadequate ferry service. Joe Sirugo, local contractor who is also promoting a ferry project, exhibited pictures of two boats which he is negotiating for at the present. He asked that the com- mittee recommend that action be postponed for at least 30 days so that he would have something more “concrete” to offer. But, informed sources said to- day that the city and Caribbean Ferry Systems may arrive at an agreement this weekend — if the shipping firm will agree to the non-exclusive clause. The point is not expected to be a major stumb- ling block, since in an agreement presented to the commission Mon- day, they agreed to match any larger vessel that might be put into Key West-Cuba Ferry service. “I’m in favor of granting them ‘permission to operate tomorrow— but not on an exclusive basis,” Commissioner Carbonell said to- day. City Commission Meets The city commission will meet tonight to consider the budget and the latest ferry proposition is ex- pected to come in for considerable discussion. Commissioner Jack De- laney, in particular, said Mon- day that there are a few points he wants to see ironed out. ‘The Caribbean Ferry System has agreed to make improvements to the dock and to start service by September 1 or the deal is off and they will forfeit all money paid to the city before that date. They propose to operate the 225- foot converted LSM, the Patricia, three times weekly to Cardensas, Cuba. The vessel is presently in a Miami drydock undergoing final repairs. Company officials have said that the ship will be ready for a test cruise about the middle of August. The company is headed by R. H. “Bob” Reynolds, former Senator from North Carolina. TWO CHARGES AGAINST SAILOR ARE DROPPED Charges of indecent exposure and open profanity against Donald Merle Green, a sailor, were drup- ped today by Acting County So- licitor Bob Youmans. Youmans said the charge was dropped because the witness, a woman, was ordered by her phy- sician not to appear in court.