The Key West Citizen Newspaper, July 15, 1954, Page 1

Key West, Florida, has the most equable ciimate in the country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit NEW SUPERVISOR AT POST OFFICE—Bernard bicycle away for the last time. L. Larsen, long-time mail carrier hi He will fill the recently approved position of “cler! THE SCUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER Safety Council .j {fessional policeman and backbone » puts in charge” and will have as his primary responsibility the supervision of all the mail carriers in the city. A native Key Wester, Larsen first came to work with the Post Office in January 1921. He said today he would “miss being out and around and meeting the public, but at my age it will be nice to be out of the weather.” For a quarter of a century, he has delivered the mail in the area from the Post Office to Front Street. Mr. and Mrs, Larsen reside at 2435 Fogarty—Citizen Staff Photo, Sybil. Sirugo Sets December 16 Date For Start Of Ferry Operation Luxury Vessel Evangeline To Be Ready Then The 5,000 ton luxury ves- sel Evangeline will be plac- ed into Key West-Havana ferry operation on Decem- ber 16, it was announced Wednesday by Joe Sirugo, president of the Key West- Cuba Transit Company. , Sirugo said that final ar- rangements are being work- ed out in Havana for the start of service. | Only stumbling block, he} said, is the attitude of the| Cuban stevedores union. The Communist dominated or- ganization has levied a pro- hibitive fee on the unload- ing of passenger cars in Ha- vana. Negotiations Proceed : But, Sirugo added, negotia- | tions are proceeding in an effort | to work out a satisfactory com- promise. Sirugo returned recently frora | Havana where he conferred with Antonio Perez Benitoag son-in-law | of Cuban president Batista and | high government officials. Full co- | operation was promised in solving the Cuban labor problem. — The proposed ferry operation al- so has the blessing of the powerful. Cuban Tourist Commission. | Sirugo pointed out that dock | space has been obtained in Havana. | The Key West terminus would ap- | parently be the city-owned Clyde- Mallory dock. Sirugo recently re- | Jinquished a lease for property at | the north end of Simonton Street from which he earlier planned to operate a smaller ferry. Vessel Capacity | ‘The Evangeline, currently oper- | ating between Boston and Nova | Scotia, has a passenger capacity | of 700 and carries upwards of 50 automobiles. The 378 foot vessel | is capable of a speed of 17 knots. It is a sister ship to the Yar- mouth Castle, which was recently placed into service between Mi- ami and various Caribbean ports. It is owned by the Evangeline Steamship Company. Sirugo said that he has entered into ‘“‘charter- purchase” agreement for the ship. Tentative plans call for the ship to arrive in Key West December 15 and the start of the thrice week- | Jy service the next day. i Raft Crew. Is Rescued .SAN FRANCISCO (#—Five wet |and weary amateur sailors who had hoped to drift to Hawaii were | plucked from their foundering, | powerless raft 60 miles off central California early today. The freighter Metapan radioed at 4:25 a.m. that all of the men had been rescued despite high seas and | Strong winds. | Presumably all were in good con- dition. Details of the rescue were | not available. The Metapan, which located the tiny yellow raft Lehi, 62 miles due west of Point Sal, said it was head- ing for San Francisco, about 175 miles away. It was expected to} dock late today. | The 32-foot six-sided raft was cast adrift by the Metapan, but the coast guard said the cutter Alert! would find it and destroy it as a| menace to navigation. Long Search Search for the fragile raft, which put out from San Francisco last | Friday, ended off Morro Bay, 8! hours after the Coast Guard an- swered an urgent SOS that the craft was sinking, The call followed four days of private searching and two days of ; radio appeal by the raft’s ailing | radio operator, Don Smith of Santa Rosa, to be taken from the Lehi. The Lehi crew had hoped to drift 2,200 miles southwest to Hawaii. | Skippered by Devere Baker, a Mor- mon preacher, they took no food | or water. They hoped to catch fish | and are using a solar still to make | |sea water drinkable. | The raft drifted south instead of southwest. Aboard the Lehi with Baker aad Smith were Joe Fearon, Judge L. | Hawks and J. Keith Pope, a news-| paperman. All were from the San Francisco area except Hawks who is from Ogden, Utah. City Hall Is Just Around Corner from Strunk Lumber 120 SIMONTON STREET (If It Ain’t Moved Yet) BPW Asks City To Set Up Public Swimming Pool Fund Value Of Municipal Pool To Tourist Industry Outlined Mrs. Joan Mardis, president of the. Key West Business’ and Pro- fessional Women’s Club, said today that a letter from that organiza- tion has been sent to the city commissioners requesting an ap- propriation in this year’s city budget for a public swimming pool on Roosevelt Boulevard. “The value of a municipal swim- ming pool to the Key West resi- dent as well as its attraction to the visitor is readily apparent,” | said Mrs. Mardis. She added that in 1949, the BPW Club, recognizing the need for a public swimming pool, was instru- mental in helping the City of Key West acquire bay bottom lands adjacent to the Boulevard, with the understanding that these lands ‘were to be solely for public use. Club Fund The club also set up a growing fund for the development of this project. Today this fund - amounts j to about $1,000. The club in its letter to the city commission offered to swell the city’s requested appropriation with this $1,000. Mrs. Mardis also ex- pressed the opinion that it is al- together possible that other local organizations may want to make similar contributions. A copy of the BPW Club’s letter to the city commission was also | forwarded to the Board of Direc- tors of the Key West Chamber of Commerce with the request that, if the Commissioners made the requested appropriation, the Cham- ber appoint a committee to work out a simple, inexpensive develop- ment plan. Mrs. Mardis stressed the fact that the need for a public swim- ming pool in Key West continues— and will continue—to grow, and | also expressed the hope that full} cooperation from the city com- missioners and from the Chamber of Commerce would help push this project to successful—and early— completion. STREETS ARE CLEARED TOKYO \W—When a 400-pound bear ambled leisurely through Ohfunato’s main business street yesterday, there wasn’t another leisurely stroller around. | office, suggested to local Safety SEE IN THE U.S. A. Housing Parley S t k | Is Held Today O ¢ e City officials and Rear Adm. G. C. Towner today met and discussed the housing situation here but no conclusion was reached, it was learned, The Navy has complained of inadequate housing here — es. pecially for enlisted me Present at the meeting were Towner; J. Y. Porter, IV, city attorney; Victor Lang, city manager; Mayor C. B. Harvey; and these city commissioners —Jack Delaney, Louis Car. bonell and Dr. Delic Cobo. Roper Makes Suggestions To Group Hears Plans For Safety Week September 20-26 by Bill Spillman Watson Roper, a veteran pro- of the county’s law enforcement Council members last night at their regular meeting that a cit- izen’s committee be formed to in- sure that laws are enforced. “I} do not mean a vigilante type group,” Roper said. Roper also suggested that a law enforcement officer e sent to Northwestern University for an eight-weeks course in traffic con- trol and traffic safety engineering. Roper added that the man should bring back to Key West a traffic engineer from the university to re- port on Key West's safety and traffic problems. Gradations Of Guilt "Traffic wuld have striet | enforcement” But in most cases: there is no boundary like black| and white violation, Circum- stances must be taken into con- sideration,” Roper said. Roper gave for an example the several complaints received from Stock Island residents about the marl trucks. “To completely stop this we would need to patrol the area 24 hours a day.” Police Officer Bernard Waite re- presented the Key West Chief of} Police, Bienvenido Perez. “I speak for Chief Perez when I say that the Key West Police force will go along with the Safety Council 100 per cent,” Waite said. He also said that he is sure that most policemen would join the Safety Council. Waite added that the traffic in Key West is getting worse and | worse. George Wood, district commis- sioner of the Boy Scouts, was ap- pointed liason representative be- tween the Navy and the Safety Council. Safety Week D. E. Nichols of the Telephone Company gave the members an extensive report and study of activities planned for the coming | safety week of September 20/ through 26. Included in the items to make citizens safety conscious .Was to have a mystery “Jay Walker” who would give $20 to the first person who told him he was violat-| ing the law. Also in the plans is the election by contest of a safety queen from (Continuea on Page Two) Suit For Debt Filed Against Peace Justice Roy Hamlin, justice of the peace, | today was sued for a $159.49 debt. | A $25 check written by Hamlin | BABY STING RAY—Six little sting rays were born at the Aquarium this week, but only three survived. Sharks ate the other three, Bill Kroll, Aquarium manager, explained. Mama ray measures five feet across the wings; the babies—one of them Pictured above—measure seven inches across and 19 inches long from nose to tail tip.—Citizen S: taff Photo, Sybil. Police Lt. To Have Hearing Gls AreFree | After 12 Days Of Captivity WAIDHAUS, Germany (#—Seven American soldiers, held in ‘Commu-; nist Czechoslovakia since Ameri-, can Independence Day, crossed the border to freedom today at noon after 12 days in captivity. The six enlisted men and a cap- tain were turned over at this West German-Czech border point where Associated Press correspondent William Oatis was freed more than a year ago. They were met by a detachment from the U.S. 2nd Armored Cavalry, which is stationed along the East-West frontier. An Army spokesman said earlier that “after a routine interrogation, a news conference will be held,” probably Saturday. In Good Condition U.S. Army authorities said the) men appeared to be in “‘good con-| dition” and that they reported “the food was good.”” They were brought to the border | in a dusty Czech bus, and as they | climbed out some of them appeared red-eyed and nervous, but in good health. ‘ Two of the men were carrying | cameras they apparently had taken i with them on their July 4 sight-| seeing trip to the border. | ‘The seven, members of the 816th | Field Artillery Battalion, are: Capt. Jack M. Davis, the bat- talion surgeon, Raytown, Mo.; Cpl. John F, Glasson, Oakdale, Calif., Pfe. Jerry W. Griffith, Springfield, Ohio; Pfc. George Switzer, Mil- burn, Neb.; Pfe. Leonard D. Ten- nis, Alliance, Ohio; Pvt. Richard! J. Jumper! Booreville, Miss. and | Pvt. Ross F. McGinnis, Greens- | burg, Pa. Selzed July 4 | The Americans had driven to the | Czech border in a weapons carrier | and returned for insufficient funds | also is involved. James _E. Doherty, doing busi-| ness as Doherty & Co., 846 Olivi: St., filed the bill of complaint in| circut court through his attorneys, | Neblett and Youmans. | The complaint says Hamlin has | owed Doherty $159.49 for paint | since Feb. 23, 1953 and that| Doherty has tried to collect the| money. The bill of complaint further says that on Feb. 23, 1953, Hamlin wrote a $25 check as a payment jon the debt but that the check was returned because of insuffici- ent funds. Doherty wants a judgment for $159.49 plus interest nus costs of | the suit. | but that they drove on. Later bor-| truck July 4. As they neared the poorly defined frontier, they stopped a German and asked him | where they could find the demar- cation line. | The German later told police he | had warned them to be careful, | der patrols found the abandoned Army vehicle near the border on| the German side. | In a protest note delivered sev-| ral days later, the Czech authori- ties said the Americans had pene- trated deeply into Czechoslovak territory. They claimed the sol- diers carried cameras and took forbidden pictures. , The U. S. State Department, in a sharp note, replied that the men were “abducted” ard demanded their immediate release. i i Into Suspension Here Tonight * Civil Service; Board To Air Tavern Incident @ Police Lt. Gene Hernandez will begin his fight against possible dis- missal from the police force to- night at 7 p. m. in the city hall when the Civil Service Board con- ducts a hearing into the case. At that time, he and his attorney, William V. Albury, will attempt to refute charges that led to his sus- pension for 30 days. In addition, Police Chief Bienvenido Perez has recommended that he be severed from the force if the charges are proven. Hernandez’ suspension stems from an incident on the evening of July 5 in which he apparently was involved in an argument with City Commissioner Paul R. Roberts in Chino’s Drive-In, Flagler Avenue and Bertha Street. Hernandez has denied the charg- es. Both of the principles have de- clined to make public their ver- sions of the alleged clash. Anonymous Letters An informed source indicated today that the case against the police officer hinges on anonymous } letters sent to each of the city commissioners by an eye-witness to the altercation. But, the informant said it is doubtful if the letters are admiss- able as evidence. In cases of suspension of city: employees, the board sits as a “court.” Members of the panel include postal work- er Robert Valdez, Mrs. Isabel Fleming, county juvenile court (Continued on Page Two) Marsh Charges Newspaper Hurt His Reputation MIAMI (®—County Solicitor John Marsh says his reputation has deen damaged by published reports of his handling of the Overseas Toll Road cases, He filed a $688,885 damage suit against the Miami Herald yester- day. Stories of the trial, he said, aroused suspicion that he had “‘act- ed corruptly, dishonestly, unlaw- fully and with utter lack of pro- fessional skill and ability.” Marsh prosecuted the grand lar- ceny trials of Brooks Bateman, ousted general manager of the toll district; and Alonzo Cothron, a contractor. Both were acquitted. The petition contended that Marsh conducted the trials “with the skill commensurate with his ability.” t-OF- | Suit Ends In Mistrial PRICE FIVE CENTS Way Judge Lopez Has 10 Days To Rule On Motion For Verdict Trial of a joint State-County suit to force removal failed to agree. se Huge Blvd. Land Sale Announced Tentative sale of a strip of land on Roosevelt Boulevard by Joe Siruge te Ben Fried- lander, president of the giant Food Fair chain, hasbeen an- nounced. The land, a strip 1,165 feet long with an average. depth of 180 feet was sold for $182,500, Sirugo said. Friedlander ob- tained a 30 day option on the Property for $10,000. The land runs from First to Fourth Street. Although no plans have been announced, Friedlander is ex- pected to erect a giant Food Fair super-market. Friedlander heads the syndicate which erected the Key West Kennel Club dog track. Dentist Takes Stand In His Murder Trial Will Probably Tell Jury Effect Of Wife’s Love Affair ALLEGAN, Mich. (Detroit dentist Kenneth B. Small was ready to take the witness stand to- day in his own defense against a charge of first-degree murder. Small was expected to tell the predominantly male jury that the sudden loss of his chic wife’s |fection snapped his reasoning pow- er and led him to shoot and kill New Yorker Jules Lack. Dr. Small, 31, facing life impris- onment if convicted, contends he was temporarily insane when Lack was slain May 29 at a house party. He has admitted tracing his wife and Lack to a swank Lake Mich- igan summer home at nearby Douglas and killing Lack with two pistol bullets. Lack, 45, playboy head of a New York air-conditioning firm, met Dr. Small’s wife Edith, 30, while she and her three children vaca- tioned in Florida last winter. Her husband had remained in Detroit. Mrs. Small testified Tuesday that she fell in love with Lack and (Continued on Page Two) KEY WEST'S TRAFFIC BOX SCORE July To Date 18 Accidents ___ 288 3 Traffic Injuries __ 33 Traffic Deaths o 6 |Property Damage $4,770 $73,906 The only accident reported by police yesterday happened when the driver disregarded a stop sign. It was the 36th accident to occur on Truman Avenue this year. Remember: It’s not the right of way that counts — it’s the right way. When you are in doubt about the right of way —let the other fellow have it. Yesterday's accident, while it was comparatively minor ($100 damage) could have been seri- ous. And just because the driver either doesn’t believe in signs or has a momentary lapse, he may have put his life in danger. Is it worth it? of buildings allegedly in the right-of-way on U. S. 1 on Stock Island today ended in a mistrial when the jury However, Circuit Court Judge Aquilino Lopez, Jr., has-yet to rule on a state motion for a directed verdict. The judge has 10 days in which to rule on the motion. The state and county want the buildings they say are in the right-of-way moved to make room for four laning U. S. 1 from the city limits to Boca Chica Bridge. Paul Sawyer, legal adviser to the county commissioners, and Ross Stanton, State Road Depart- ment attorney, handled the state’s case. Defendants In Case J. Y. Porter IV and W. Curry Harris represented the defendants — Alton George Parks, Lawrence Dion, the Sinclair Refining Co., and Charles L. Moody — the own- ers, lessors and lessees of the land in question. According to Sawyer, the busi ness buildings involved are Parks’ filling station, Moody’s grocery, and the Sinclair service station at the intersection of the old Stock Island Road and U. S. 1. The state contended that the line the state says is the right-of-way boundary -passes almost through the center of Parks’ filling station, leaving the gas pumps about 50 feet toward the center line of the highway. Boundary Charted Charts presented by the state also showed that the boundary Passed through Moody’s grocery and also lops off a section of a frame building next door to the store. The line also runs through the gas pumps at the other filling sta- tion. If the state wins the ease, the buildings will have to be removed to make way for the widened high- way. If the state loses, it is doubtful if condemnation proceedings will be started since this would entail considerable expense to the county. There is a possibility, in the event the state loses, that the verdict will be appealed. French Outposts Fall Before Vietminh Troops HANOI, Indochina (9 — Two French defense outposts fell before Vietminh attackers as monsoon rains came to the Red River Delta yesterday and last night. Vietnamese defenders abandoned the post of Chiquan, 25 miles west of Hanoi, after a brief fight against 400 to 500 Vietminh attackers, a French briefing officer reported. Thirty-five miles northwest of Ha- noi, a second small post on the edge of Delta defenses crumpled under another Vietminh attack. The officer saic Vietnamese de- fenders of both posts were beating their way back to Son Tay throu; guerrilla infested territory inside the French defense line, northwest of Hanoi. Thirty miles ortheast of Hanoi the less than 100-man garrison at Camp Hulan stood off 500 Vietmink with the aid of low-flying planes that strafed, bombed and napaeml the attackers. A half dozen other small posts beat back Vietminh attackers yesterday and last night, the officer added. French mobile battalions bivou- acking in three small villages 16 to 20 miles southwest of Hanoi had little trouble tossing back Vietminh units that attacked during the night. “MISS UNIVERSE” CONTESTANTS GATHER LONG BEACH, Calif. —Shape- ly delegates from various nations and states of this country hegin arriving today for the Miss Uni verse beauty pageant. The first official get-together o¢ all the beauties will be a harbor boat ride tomorrow evening. Next week will be devoted first to the selection of Miss United States, and then to choosing of Miss Uni. i verse.