The Key West Citizen Newspaper, August 25, 1954, Page 1

_ Key West, Florida, has the most equable climate in the country, with an average "range of only 14° Fahrenheit“ ™ VOL. LXXV Ne. 202 he’ city commission ac-| | bid for the removal nm Bight led action on the| & mation-of John L. Day |. finance officer until @ a\t s Pigeon Credited With THE has-been credited by the owners of a 54-foot * Mrs. d ~ West their of Mr, \° l'o Be Filed Here “TAMPA ‘(® — The civil suits d by the State Road Depart- to recover % million dollars »-|which a special audit report says -or'| was overspent in the Overseas Toll "0 r Bridge District will be in September. attorneys are pre- “suits, said the bill of had been drafted. ils for filing the suits will be at a conference in Key . 13 with commissioners district; McEwen explained, nd the suits filed as soon as pos- that in Key West. audit of the district general manager of the district. suits will be filed against Bateman and Cothron, McEwen sald, ‘and will ask the court to Tequire an accounting and discov- ery of funds which the auditor’s report said were overspent. Father Held On Incest Charge _A 44-year-old white man today was in the county jail, charged with incest, His 15‘year-old daugh- ter is eight months pregnant. ‘The sheriff's department said the man and his daughter were taken off a Miami-bound ‘bus at Taver- nier. || He was’ arrested at the request of. police in Rouses Point, N. Y., the incest charge was filed. yogier extradition yesterday ‘afternoon and New York officers ‘are flying here to return the man | last. week, inikey West, with guiding them til lost ‘the marker about 20 miles off Key West. Lack of Equipment “They had no navigational equip- ment and no idea where they were. A squall was brewing off their stern. . Although Wilder is an experienc- ed seaman, this was their first voy- age on their new boat. Things looked dark indeed. They feared that they might lose their way and end up on-one of the reefs or shaols that abound in these water. That’s when their ‘seagoing hitch-hiker” put in his appearance. Mrs. Wilder said that he ‘‘drop- ped out of the blue and crashed into the windshield.” He was utterly exhausted and un- able to get on his feet, she said. But a little water brought him a- \ round. Quite Tame He was quite tame and soon was walking around the boat. The Wil- ders continued to ponder their plight. Then, the pigeon »'‘ked out on the bow of the boat d took up his station. The Wii <s_ noticed that he stared continu ily in a cer- tain direction. “We both decided to steer the *\-boat in the direction he was point- ed,” Mrs. Wilder said. Soon they entered the northwest channel and were safely tied up at the Gulf Oil Docks. The pigeon then took to the air and flew off in the direction of the Navy Annex. “7 think that pigeon saved our lives,” said Mrs. Wilder. Car Total Loss After Dunking An automobile operated by Theo- dore S. Taylor, of the Dion Motel, was listed as a totai loss today after it crashed into a guard rail at a bridge under construction on Roosevelt Boulevard and went into the ocean. Police officer Mario Santana said that the accident occurred at 5 a. m. He charged Taylor with reckless driving, causing an accident and destroying public property, He was released op-$100 bond. SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER KEY WEST, FLORIDA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1954 Company Officials In City For Survey By JIM COBB The Peninsular and Occidental Steamship Company is considering resuming its Key West-Havana-Tampa run, which was discontinued 18 years ago, it was learn- ed today. r The ship to be used in the operation would be the SS Florida which is presently operating out of Miami to Havana to Nassau, according to City Commissioner Delio Cobo, who conferred with two officials of the company in Key West Tuesday. The we, K. A. — vice president and genera! Schedule Set apes For Classroom IN THE iti U.S. A. For Quick Communication, Use CLASSIFIED Ads! You'll PRICE FIVE CENTS O Plans Key West Steamer Service Failure Of Witnesses To Appear At Manslaughter Hearing Causes Dispute Key West and former captain of the Florida, were in Key West'to survey dock- ing facilities. They also Beer Apply Te cerning the proposal. All City Schools Cobo said that he was told if . the city commission will agree All elementary schvols Monday, August $0,. the opening day of the fall semester. Pupils will report to the’ audi- manager of the company, Assi t $ conferred with County Judge Raymond Lord (no in the city will follow the same schedule in making torum of their school for assign- ment. The teacners will take their to grant a lease on the city-own- ed Clyde-Mallory docks, they will start service on Jan. 15. Commission Consideration Cobo added that he will bring the matter before the commission at a special meeting set for 5:30 p.m. today. ' “T feel certain that the city commission can get together with P and O people and restore steam- ship service to Key West,” Cobo and Robert Lord, a native of Elementary Class kin to Robert Lord) con- classroom assignments on org te fait ee ee in ‘ The schedule for classroom .as-, signments is as follows: ci 6th grades report at 8:15 a. m. Sth grades report at 9:00 a. m. 4th grades report at 9:45 a. m. 3rd grades report at-10:30 a. m. | 2nd grades report at 1:00 p. m. Ast grades report at 2:00 p. m. Poinciana Bus Students Principal Albert Carey, of the Poinciana Elementary School has suggested that due to the fact that students will remain at the — for only a short time, it would advisable for parents of children who usually come by bus to bring them at the proper time on Mon- day morning and to call for thenmy after they are dismissed, set School authorities stress that the above schedule is for classroom as- signments only. Pupils who are at- tending Key West schools for first time may register at an: before the opening day. 5 A birth certificate or other ceptable proof that the child wi be 6 years old before January 1, 1955 is necessary before a child can be entered in the first grade in Florida public schools, ~ Evening Classes Investigation Of Gato Beating Case Continues The Sheriff's Department was busy sifting clues in the case of a local woman who was viciously beaten early Sunday morning but they reported no new arrests to- day. Two men are being held in con- nection with the case. They are: Kirkwood Bethel and George Thompson. They were picked up by city police and turned over to Said today. ‘Cobo said that he will ask that commission meet at an early itizen today, Osborne admitted hat he was in Key West in con- mection with restoring service here, but said that he was not prepared to make any statement until he confers with the com- mission. Admits Interest But he did admit that his firm is.yery much interested in return- to Key West. ; new service would accom- modate both passengers and it. PS eiece advanced for their de- ‘Sire to operate out of Key West Were given as the fact that both Key West, and Florida's West Coast are rapidly outstripping the Test. of. the state in the tourist business and that the shipping company is extremely interested in. serving Latin-American mar- kets. The P and O Company operat- out of Key West for many years until the 1935 hurricane put an end to railroad operations. When the railroad ended their Keys service it created a short- age of passengers and made the steamship operation economically unfeasible. High School Makes Plans For For Adults “Dr. Harold C. Campbell, princi- pal of Key West High School, an- unced this morning that plans were being made for adult even- ing classes during the 1954 - 55. school year. ; J. C.. McNeely will cordinate the ‘program designed to provide the most complete plan of education possible. : : “Our objective in this program is to meet the needs of the adult citizens of Monroe County,” Camp- bell said. “We feel that there are many fine citizens in our county who for one reason or another were un- able to complete their high school education, but who would weleome an opportunity to do so at this time. ‘Also there are probably many fine people who need addi- tional training for advancement in the Sheriff's Department for ques- tioning. F Meanwhile the woman, Mrs. Ju- lia Gato, 1012 Johnson Street is re- covering from the effects of the beating. She was asleen when an intruder entered her home and pees her three times, inflicting wounds requiring 32 stitches. - their present occupations.” To Start in Sept. The classes will be offered be- in Pep oes and are us- wally scheduled for one or two eve- nings a week. The only cost is a small registration fee and the sup- me dult education program is ui (Continued on Page Eight) CUBAN OFFICERS HERE—Commodore Jose Hernandez (center), Cuban Navy, and Captain Guerra (right), Cuban Navy, stand with Captain W. H dell, USN (left), Commanding Officer, Fleet Sonar School, im- mediately after their arrival at the school Tuesday. Commodore Rodriguez and his party will observe anti-submarine warfare training at Fleet Sonar School during their two-day stay here. The visitors were conducted on a tour of the school yesterday by Captain Truesdell. Stores To End Thursday Closing Retail. stores will close te- morrow for a half day for the last time this summer. This action was decided this morning at a meeting of the Retail Merchants Division of the Chamber of Commerce. On the following Thursday, Sept. 2, the stores will be open all day. Ervin Says Fla. Isn’t Ready For Desegregation TALLAHASSEE (#—The feeling of a majority of Floridians that the state isn’t ready yet for min- gling of the races in the public schools will be emphasized to the U.S. Supreme Court in October. Atty. Gen. Richard Ervin said he will stress the point in the brief he will file in response to’ the court’s invitation to Southern states to advise it how and when they think its May ruling outlawing racial segregation in the class- room should be put into effect. An opinion study by an inter- racial committee set up by Ervin to gather facts for use in his brief showed about three-fourths of the representative groups of citizens questioned believe immediate and complete segregation would be un- wise. Violent Objection Thirty per cent of white persons questioned on the subject “ex- pressed themselves as so violently opposed to desegregation that ei- ther they personally would use any means available to prevent it or they thought other people would resort to violence if the court sought to enforce its decree abrupt- ly,” Ervin said. “My purpose in filing the brief is to try to show the court that Florida from practical considera- tions is not ready for desegrega- (Continued On Page Eigat) | Strunk Lumber IS OPEN ALL DAY THURSDAY 120 SIMONTON, near CITY HALL t ei US$ Tabberer (DE-418) ing at sea—Official U.S, Navy’ Photo. » Lt. Fox Makes Statement On Drake Case Legal Assistance Officer At VX-1- Tells His Views Lt. James H. Fox, legal assistance officer at VX-1, had this to say about the Drake case: I have at no time participated in the negotiations between the Sheriff's Office of Monroe County and the Navy’s legal department pertaining to the Drake case. I am referring to the Sheriff's Department’s negotiations -to take custody of Drake. On Aug. 23, 1954, I was asked by the Naval Air Station chaplain if I could assist in the defense of Drake’s case. The chaplain had re- ceived a letter from Drake’s mo- ther asking for his assistance. Chaplain Advised I advised the chaplai. that it was a case which should be handled by a local attorney and that I could not represent him in a civilian eri- minal court. I did suggest that we attempt to assist Drake in obtaining counsel if Drake so desired, either by as- sisting him to procure funds for a local attorney of his own choosing or by making a request to the le- DEE Ree Oe rida. I accompanied the chaplain to the sheriff's office where we talk- ed with Watson Roper, Jr., a de- puty sheriff. I advised him of our intentions and asked if we could see Drake. Mr. Roper, correctly, informed me that I could not see Drake for the purpose of acting as his de- fense counsel and that he believed Drake has just received a money (Continued On Page Eight) DISTRICT LEADER TO ADDRESS LIONS CLUB Everett Wurtz, f *-*e Worth Lions Club governor for District 35-S, will be here 10 aus... _ regular ‘meeting of the Key West club at 6:30 p. m. tomorrow. Wurtz and his wife and two chil- dren will arrive tomorrow to spend the weekend here. In his talk, Wurtz will report on Lions Club af- fairs throughout the district, Smouldering Navy-Sheriff’s Dept. Feud Erupts BY DENIS SNEIGR The long—smouldering feud between the Navy and the Sheriff's. Department was out in the open today. The break came over p missing witnesses at nslaughter hearing y afternoon. manslaughter charge old sailor, was dis- at the hearing be- fore Justice of the Peace ‘Roy Hamlin. After the hearing, Deputy Sher- iff Watson Roper, Jr., charged that Lt. James H. Fox, Navy legal as- sistant officer at VX-1, had said Roper said Fox was not admit ted to see Drake because he had no standing in the case, Witness Left Town Roper said that he and Fox dis- cussed the fact that one of the “‘Maybe the Navy won't let other witnesses appear,” Roper quoted Fox as saying. The other two missing witnesses (Continued On Page Hight) KEY WEST'S TRAFFIC BOX SCORE August To Accidents 33 Traffic Injuries _ 5 Traffic Deaths _ 9 Property Damage $7,415 $85,948 An accident which in the pro- verbial “twinkling of an eye” early today, resulted in a $1200 loss to the owner of a car which ended up in the ocean. That’s a terrible blow to any- body’® pocketbook. And If casualty insurance companies have to pay off many claims in such amounts, it is a good bet that we can look for increases in our auto insurance premiums. Since we are within $5,000 of the total damage caused in traffic accidents in 1954, it seems doubtful that we can avoid topping that mark this year. It is a grim situation. JOSEPH J. GROOM, M.D. Eye Specialist WILL BE HERE FOR CONSULTATION On Sat., Aug. 28 For APPOINTMENTS, Call Dr. J. A. Valdes PHONE 2-782!