The Key West Citizen Newspaper, July 13, 1954, Page 1

Xey West, Floride, has the most equable climate in the country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit y West Citisen aahennt NEWSPAPER IN THE US. Signing Of Lease Brings K W-Havana Ferry Closer Commissioners To Give Final Okay To Terms Tonight KEY WEST, FLORIDA, TUESDay, JULY 13, 1 ny Suspension Letter Is To Be Handed To Police Lt. Today Chief Perez Reveals Details In Case Of Lt. Hernandez By BILL SPILLMAN Police Lt. E. Hernandez was suspended today from the Key West Police Department for thirty days without Pay with recommendations to the Civil Service Board for a permanent suspension if the charges against him are Did Knopp Catch The Jewfish, Or Did The Jewfish Nab Knopp? City Building Inspector Nets 25 Bucks Worth Of Fish Monday It appeared today that on- ly a major upset could stop the beginning of Key West- Havana ferry service by September 1. City Commission To Meet Tonight The city commission a- greed to a 20-year lease on the Wagner property. Tonight, the commission- ers are expected to give their final okay to the lease terms. i Tomorrow, Commissioner Louis Carbonell is to take the lease to Miami for deliv- ery to the Caribbean Ferry System, Inc. The lease between the city and the ferry system includes an op- tion for the company to buy the property within 10 years at a price to be agreed upon at the time of the sale. . Terms. Of Lease ‘Terms of the lease call for the company to pay the city $100 a month rent for the first 10 years and $150 a month thereafter. Last February, the city leased the same property to. Joe. Sirugo, Key West promoter. He also pro- posed to start ferry operations. However, last Saturday, Sirugo relinquished his lease. ‘ Carbonell met yesterday in Mi- i. .with N. C. Hines, exeeutive (Bisnaeeis of the ferry com- : Peat hat time, Carbone) said, * ‘Higes jagreed that his company would lease the property. Earlier, the company and the city hadybeen negotiating a lease on “the old Clyde-Mallory Dock. However, they failed to reach an agreement. Long Range Plan The. Caribbean Ferry System to link several Caribbean countries and also have a tie in route with the Pan American Highway down into Central and South America. : The company has promised, Carbonell said, to start immediate construction of a dock at the company’s expense. : Ferry service is promised by Sept. 1. The company’s ship, the Pa- tricia, a 225-foot converted LSM (landing ship medium), is now undergoing conversion at the Dade Dry Dock in Miami. The ship is due for its shakedown cruise beginning August 28. Fire Trucks Are Quick To Arrive At Fire Scene Fire trucks from Poinciana and number 3 fire stations were at the scene of a fire within three minutes after being summoned by radio from an alert policeman in a patrol car last night at about 7:30. Police Officer H. S. Conley was parked at the corner of north Roosevelt Boulevard and Thirteenth Street when he observed flames from a fire underneath a car driv- en along the Boulevard by Charles Parks of 1212 Olivia. Conley immediately called for fire trucks, then proceeded to stop the ear that was on fire. Parks stated that he had not known that his car was on fire, until a passerby yelled to him just prior to his being stopped by the policeman. The fire went out when the ear stopped. Fire Chief Charles Cremata, ‘who arrived on the scene with the fire truck, investigated the alarm and stated that the cause of the blaze was from the emergency brake band that had become lock- ed against the fly wheel of the car. ————_—_—$_ NOTICE! We Will Be Closed All Day Every Wednesday Until Further Notice El Pasaje Restaurant 1005 TRUMAN AVENUE The city commission will hold a special meeting tonight at 8 o'clock. : Purpose of the meeting is a discussion of the negotiations for buying the Poinciana hous- ing project. The Key West Foundation Co., owners of the land on which it stands, is dickering with the federal government to buy the housing units. However, the city commis- sion is also. interested. Last week they made an offer of $200,000 for the property. Vietminh Pours Mortar Fire On French By FORREST. EDWARDS HANOI, Indochina “#—Vietminh mortars shelled French army head- quarters ‘at ‘Son Tay, 25 miles northwest of Hanoi, last night and sniper warfare rang through the Streets of the defense outpost town Ck A French army spokesman said civilians were moving out of Son Tay as rebel pressure built up in that sector and across the northern Forty-one rebels were reported killed and 17 captured in various actions during the night. There was no announcement of French losses. Between Son Tay and Hahoi Viet- minh guerrillas attacked a French highway guard patrol but were driven off by a tank squadron that rumbled out of Son Tay to the rescue. Twenty Vietminh were killed and seven captured in the roadside fight. Sniper Killed One rebel sniper was killed on a Son Tay street corner bu* others apparently escaped. Other fights were reported just north of Hung Yen, 25 miles south- east of Hanoi, and through the Sept Pagodes-Luc Nam-Puh Lang Thuong triangle, 35 miles northeast of Hanoi. z, North of Hung Yen, rebel guer- rilla and French-Vietnamese pa- trols clashed in small night battles for possession of the supply road from Hanoi. In each fight, the French spokes- man said, The Vietminh were driven off before their demolition units could cut the road. Twenty Tebels were killed and 10 cap- tured in the area. In the air yesterday, French fighters and bombers plastered Vietminh bases north of Hung Yen with more than 120 tons of high explosives. Other planes bombed a string of rebel bases north of the Hanoi-Haiphong supply lifeline. Charlotte Papers Carry Key West Pictures, Story “Trends,” the monthly publica- tion of the Key West Chamber of Commerce, reports that Key West was able to obtain some good pub- licity in Charlotte, N. C., when By JIM COBB You don’t have to go out in the Gulf Stream to catch big fish—and you don’t have to go far from The Citizen office to hear real fish stories. Those points were proven by City Building Inspector Ray Knopp when he landed a giant, 400-pound jewfish last night at the site of the old Porter Dock — only two blocks from the city hall. And this morning, he regaled nearly a score of spellbound listeners in the office of Finance Director Craig Bowen with a stirring tale of his exploit — a tale that should rate as the fish story of the year. It started out as a routine day for reporters on the city hall beat, until they hit Bowen’s office. Nobody Nibbled They were questioning Bowen about details of the city budget when Knopp strode in with a swag- ger and said: “I guess you heard about the fish I caught last night.” Nobody nibbled at his bait. “I guess you heard about the fish I caught last night,” Knopp repeated. It was clear that Knopp was going to tell his fish story. Bowen's office staff and reporters resigned themselves to listening. But jit wasn’t an ordinary fish Story—when he had- finished, lis- teners gaped at him in open- mouthed wonder. That jewfish actually caught him- self. Pause For Effect “Well,” Knopp said (with a well- timed pause for effect), “it hap- pened last night when I got tired of sitting and looking at the wall- paper. I told my wife that I was going to walk down to the dock (about a block from his home) and catch myself a shark just for kicks.” Knopp gathered together a half inch line and a length of chain, drove out Roosevelt Boulevard and swiped an old fish head from a garbage can near the charter boats for bait. Perfect Night The tide, Knopp related, was slack—a perfect night for jew- fishing. He set his line far out in the channel, sat down, lit a cig- arette and thought deep thoughts. It was very relaxing. It was only a few minutes later that the huge jewfish struck. It wasn’t long before Knopp knew he had a monster on the hook. Alone, he waged a silent and des- perate battle with the undersea giant. It took all the skill he pick- up in years of commercial fishing to keep on even terms with the jewfish. He snubbed his line (Continued on Page Two) Wife To Appear iAs Witness In Husband’s Trial ALLEGAN, Mich. (—The dark- eyed, brunette wife of Dr. Kenneth B. Small was expected to take} the stand today as a prosecution witness in the first-degree murder trial of her husband. Mrs. Edith Small said: “I hope | they get it over as quickly as pos- | | sible.’ | Her 31-year-old Detroit dentist- husband went on trial yesterday, ; i jin Allegan County Circuit Court. several news stories and pictures|™ “ y a of Mrs. Clyde McLean of Charlotte, | He is accused of the May 29 pistol | the 1000th summer visitor to re-| Slaying of his wife's suitor, Jules gister at the Chamber office, were | Lack, 45. New York industrialist. sent to the Charlotte papers. |, Dr. Small’s defense is based on | So far this year 48 news stories temporary vinsanity at the time of have been released to the press | the shooting. The defense waived and radio by the Chamber of Com- merce. A ‘ctal of 47 photos have been mailed away to magazine and newspapers for use in pub- licity stories about the Island. Nearly a dozen visiting writers have been given interviews in the Chamber office and staff mem- bers have guided several parties of photographers, including two TV men, around the city in search of photo-stories. | the right to stop Mrs. Small’s test- | jimony. Mrs. Small, mother of three | young sons, is to be called to the stand by ‘Prosecutor Dwight M. | Cheever. | Before the trial began, Mrs. | Small had said she wanted to do| “everything possible” to help her | jusband, whom she had planned Ee divorce but changed her mind | after the shooting. a ALL ABOARD—Baby Delores Disgdiertt is on her way to New York City to see the surgeon who operated on her eyes last winter. Greyhound bus driver E. R. Allen holds the 11-month-old tot as her mother boards the ‘bus for the trip to Miami. They will be met there by the baby’s uncle, Or- lando Rodriguez, Jr. He will take them to the airport tomorrow morning for the flight via Safe- way to Newark, where they will stay with Mrs. Disgdiertt’s uncle, Joseph Ortis. Delores ap- pointment is set for Friday morning at 9:30.—Citizen Staff Photo by Sybil. Equalization Board Considers Tax Levy Group Turns Down Sigsbee Park, Peary Court Complaint The Equalization Board | turned down last night, the ; annual complaint lodged by the operators of the Sigsbee Park and Perry Court hous- ing projects against their tax assessment. It marked the sixth con- secutive year that the com- plaint has been filed. In oth- er years the Equalization Board has taken the same action — turned them down flatly. The plea for a reduction in their assessment was filed by Sigsbee Park, Inc. and Peary Court, Inc. Reasons Listed They claimed that the city és no right to level taxes on the prop- erty because: 1. The land on which the pro- (Continued on Page Two) Housing Questionnaires Are Given To N. avy To Distribute Naval Personnel Housing Needs Under Study Here KEY WEST'S | TRAFFIC BOX SCORE || ai Five thousand housing ques- ° Date | the Navy for distribution among “4 281/ service personnel. 7 i The Key West Chamber of Com- Traffic Injuries. 0 50 merce drew up the questionnaire Traffic Deaths __ 0 0 1 response to a Navy complaint | that housing facilities here were | Property Damage $2,740 £71,876 inadequate—especially for enlisted | | | men. i The chamber had the list of questions mimeographed and then sent them to the Navy. The questionnaire covers ever conceivable housing situation from a person’s present address to the Remember, motorists — it’s Tee pares venue on . : ed Z esman sai ie just as much against the law iNav is very much in favor of to drive an unsafe automobile |the questionnaire and that they as it is to run a traffic light | will be distributed among personnel or exceed the speed limit. | today or tomorrow. Good drivers drive safe cars. Plea By Admiral Tell a mechanic—not a jury Rear Adm. George C. Towner, —that your brakes won't work. | Commanding officer of the Naval Base, is expected to make a July | Accidents _..__ The only accident to occur yesterday, the 14th during the month of July, was caused by inadequate brakes. Damage { totaled $165. NOTICE OF RECEIVING BIDS is hereby given that KEY WEST QUARTERBACK CLUB will receive sealed bids | strong plea to have the question- naires completed and returned as soon as possible. The chamber now is working on another questionnaire—this one to tionnaires today were delivered to} found to be valid. LL] Registration List Rule Announced Persons whose names were removed from the registration lists can have their names re- stored by calling at the office of Sam Pinder, supervisor of registration, in the county court house. The deadline for restoring the names and alse for the registration of new voters is Oct. 2 — 30 days prier te the November election. Thorne’s Body To Be Exhumed In Will Case’ €hieago Officials Aim At Fixing Cause Of Death CHICAGO (# — Mrs. Marion Thorne, wealthy Chicago socialite, has agreed that her son’s body should be removed from its grave for final efforts of medical scien- tists to fix the cause of his myster- ious death. “I want to get at the truth,” her attorney, Bartlett Marimon, quot- ed her as saying. The inquest in the case resumes today. Coroner Walter E. McCarron said he will appear before Chief Justice Charles S$. Dougherty in Criminal Court today to get legal authorization to exhume the body of Montgomery Ward Thorne, 20- year-old heir to a mail order for- tune. Pathologists Ask The request came from a panel of prominent pathologists who were unable to determine the cause of death after reviewing the findings of Dr. Harry Leon, coroner’s physi- cian who believes young Thorne met with foul play. Thorne died suddenly June 19, nine days after he rewrote his will and left three fourths of his estate to his sweetheart, Maureen Ragen, 18, and her mother Aleen. His mother, who was sole beneficiary (Continued on Page Two) Chamber Suggests Vacationers Aid In Ad Program The Key West Chamber of Conm- |merce is urging Key Westers who |are heading up the country for their summer vacations to stop jin at the Chamber office and pick |up a supply of Key West folders from ail interested. persons for advertising space around the rim of the scoreboard clock at Key West High School Athletic Field for the football season 1954, pursuant to the conditions and requirements as set forth herein: 1. Each bid shail be in writing and shall state the bid price, it being contemplated that the successful bidder will provide the desired advertising, either in the form of a a painted sign. bid. 3B eon sign or 2. Check for 25% of the bid price shall accompany each ids must be submitted not later than 12:00 Noon, August 2, to Keller Watson, at 917 Southard Stre Key West, Florida. 4. The right is reserved to reject any and all bids. KEY WEST QUARTERBACK CLUB KELLER WATSON, Secretary. By: be submitted to landlords. It is|and advertising material to take expected that this questionnaire | along with them. will be ready for distribution in| The material be left at a few days. |hotels or motels along the way. The following is the text of the|The Chamber would like for each quiz delivered to the Navy today: | Key Wester to give the hotel-keep- From: The Key West Chamber |ers a real sales talk at the same of Tommerce. | time. 4o: All Naval Personnel, Key| All southhound tourists entering t, Florida. | Florida on highways 17, 1, and 27 Key West wants to provide the | are receiving a special Key West living quarters you need at the | folder urging them to vacation price you can afford to pay, but can W | here. in order to do so we must know| Coupled with “word of mouth” exactly what is required. | advertising from vacationing Key It is, then, of the utmost im-| Westers, results will be felt in portance to Naval personnel as| increased summer tourist business well as to Key West that this) which will help not only hotels, questionnaire be filled in com-| motels, and restavrants, but all i (Continued on Page Two) businesses in the City. " Chief of Police Bienvenido Perez in a letter of sus- pension to Hernandez stated that it was deemed necessary in the best interest of the police department that he (Her- nandez) be suspended. The letter further states, “I (Perez) file the following charges for reason for your suspension. Incident Described “That Police Lt. E. Hernandez was drunk and disorderly in a Public place in the City of Key West, Florida, namely: Chino’s Drive-In: on July 5, 1954, which said place is located on the corner of Flagler Avenue and First Street, Key West, Florida, and acted in such a manner that your conduct was unbecoming a police officcr and such as to bring the Police Force of this City into disrepute.” The incident in question is re- Ported by a reliable source to have occurred between the hours of 8 and 9 p. m. in the evening of July 5 and not “late at night” as pre- viously stated. The letter to Hernandez also states that he (Hernandez) has the Tight to appeal to the Civil Ser- vice Board for a hearing within five days after the receipt of the Suspension notice, The board will meet ‘Thursday night to hear the charges and ass a decision on the suspen- ion. Hernandez stated that he was re- serving comment, on dss Official Word letter of suspension is the first official information on an in- cident that has-been rumored about the city for the last few days in which an alleged brawl occurred between a city commissioner and a police officer. Paul R. (Blondie) Roberts, the commissioner in question, admitted that he was one of the People filing a complaint, However he said that he would present any evidence he had at the Civil Ser- vice Board hearing Thursday night. “This is the only legal and fair way to do it,” he said. Roberts did say that there were no fisticuffs involved. “I did not get out of my car,” Roterts said. Perez also sent a letter to the Civil Service Board that stated that evidence would be furnished at the hearing to substantiate his charges, Jack Delaney, city commission- er, on request from The Citizen ex. hibited an unsigned letter from “A Taxpayer” which told of the alleged incident at Chino’s Drive- In, The letter states: “This is be- ing written in regard to the incident which happened at Chino’s Drive In, last night involving one of your Ne Names In Letter No names were mentioned in the anonymous letter. The letter states that it is not the first time that unpleasant occurrences have happened involving this lieutenant. The letter queries as to how the morale of subordinate police of- ficers can be kept at a high level when the action of this police lieu- tenant does not substantiate a hich degree of good conduct. The letter also stated that many other people witnessed the inci- dent. Jack Delaney said that he w-s not one to condone an unsigned letter and only brought it forwerd at the request of the press. "fe added that the writer could very well have signed his name for it would have been kept confidential if the writer had so desired. Other commissioners were re- Ported to have received letters concerning the incident. Roberts said that he is urging anyone who witnessed the incident (Continued on Page Two) Building A Boat? Strunk Lumber are BOAT MATERIAL SPECIALISTS 120 SIMONTON, Near City Hall iceeetnisdaiesieeiemianemaeaeemeeneraeeeeemeeneiall q