The Key West Citizen Newspaper, September 20, 1954, Page 1

Xey West, Florida, has the most equable climate in the country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit Key West Citisen THE X MARKS THE FATAL SPOT—Deputy Sheriff Watson Roper painis a large white X on Roose- velt Blvd. at the point where a traffic fatality occurred, as Deputy Sidney Curry looks on. Scene of 12 other county fatalities will be marked in this manner as a project of Safety Week which be- gins today and continues through Seyi. 26.—Citizen Staff Photo, Sybil. Citizen Reporter Just Tried To Get The Facts, That’s All Story Of Car Crashing Inn Is Hard To Get By DENIS SNEIGR Getting information about an atito accident in this coun- ty is like trying to smuggle an atomic secret out of the Kremlin. The Citizen heard this morning that someone drove a car through the wall of the Toll Gate Inn on Matecumbe Key, scattering glass, cus- tomers, tables and chairs. Earlier, 1 had made a routine check with the sheriff's depart- ment. “Anything happen over the week- end?” I asked. “Ax murders, Tapes, robberies. Anything?” “One thing,’ said a deputy. “A woman backed a car into a pole. Very little damage.” Call To Marathon A call to the Florida Highway Patrol station at Marathon bronght this information: “Yes, someone drove a car through the wall of the Toll Gate Inn.” “Who?” “] don’t know. Patrolman Young handled it and I don’t have his re- port here.” Patrolman Robert G. Young lives at Tavernier. T phoned his home there. A wo- man answered. “Is Mr. Young there?” “Yes,” she said, “Who is call- ing?” : “The Key West Citizen,” I said: ‘What’s your number. He’ll call you back.” Speed Urged “When will he call?” I asked. “If he doesn’t call soon (this is noon) it won’t do us any good for today’s paper.” “What’s your number?” she re- Peated. I told her and that ended the conversation with Tavernier. Then I phoned the Toll Gate Inn, The number there is Matecumbe 9001 but for today all calls were being referred to Matecumbe 2601. “So ring 2601,” I told the tele- Phone operator here. 3 She did and a woman answered. I told her what I wanted. “Wait a minute,” she said, “and Til get someone whogcan tell you about the accident.” Pretty soon a nice sounding fe- male voice said, hello. Tt was Mrs. Pat Dooragain, of (Continued on Page Two) * —— Paint Rental Property with BEST PAINT SOLD from 120 SIMONTON, near Post Office Grand Jury Probe Of Housing Program Bribery Is Ordered ‘WASHINGTON w — Atty. Gen. ell today ordered a special | millions ‘grand jury convened ta. in- ve: “possible ribery and other ‘criminal conduct” in the federal housing. program. Brownell specifically that U.S, Atty. Leo A. Rover “present evidence of the activities of Clyde L. Powell,” who resigned as assistant commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration last April 13 during congressional investigations of alleged irregu- larities in the agency. Brownell announced also U.S. attorneys in all other districts across the country are being di- rected “to present to gtand juries as soon as material is available full testimony concerning criminal conduct uncovered by the admin- istration’s FHA investigations in their districts.” He said Warren Olney Ill, -as- sistant attorney general for crim- inal prosecutions, was sending out these instructions. Congressional investigators have asserted that numerous builders in Masked Bandit Robs N. C. Bank ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. # — A masked, gloved gunman robbed the North Rocky Mount Branch of the People’s Bank and Trust Co. of an estimated $7,509 today. ‘ie haste to get away. Two employes were the only ones in the bank wren‘ ~ man entered at about 9:45 a.m. and stuck a pic! on Mrs. retry Ferguson, # taller. “This is a stickup, hand over paper bag at her. “That's enough,” he said after she had partly filled the bag. Then he marched her and R. F. j Ward, the manager, into a rest room and ordered thera to stay there. He could not*lock the rest room from the outside. Alarm Given Ward said he and Mrs. Fergu- son were there for only a minute or so before he heard the tires squeel on the bandit’s getaway car. not see the getaway automobile The parent’bank has headquar- ters here. It was North Carolina's eighth bank robbery of the year. The gunman wore a white hand- kerchief mask’ and’ was described as in his early 20s, about 6 feet 1, and freckled. Police said a passerby told them at about the time of the robbery he saw a 1949 or 1950 Ford speed rom the vicinity going west. Highway Patrol. radio at Raleigh said the bank robber, or , Were believed to have fled on Highway N. C. 49 or 54. left thousands of dollars in his! the money,” he said and thrust a || Ward then gave the alarm. He did | various parts of the country made of dollars in “windfall profits" -by.. getting FHA-insured loans on apartment projects which exceeded the actual cost of the| projects. Brownell’s announcement made reference to this in relation to Powell. It said: “While assistant commissioner, Powell had charge of the rental housing program which operated from 1946 to 1950. This program resulted in windfalls to speculators exceeding 51 million dollars alone in the 285 cases reviewed by the special investigations office set up by the present administration in| FHA.” The department announcement | also asserted: | “Powell, who entered FHA in 1938 rose to assistant commissioner despite knowledge of (sic) the for- mer administration of an arrest record, including conviction for jewel theft.” Powell Silent Powell, when cailed before the Senate Banking Committee during its investigation of FHA, declined to answer questions. He pleaded the Fifth Amendment to the Con- stitution which provides that a man may not be forced to give evidence against himself. The Banking Committee put into its record a statement that Powell had a criminal record. Powell’s attorney, Daniel B. Ma- her of Washington, later filed a formal statement denying that the committee’s statement of his rec- ord was correct. The justice department declined to say exactly when the grand jury will convene here. However, it was learned that Powell was served with a subpoena last Fri- day for a grand jury appearance Shipping Co. To Survey Dock The possibility that Key West may at least partially regain its place on the shipping map appear- ed bright today when City Commis- sioner Louis Carbonell received word from an attorney represent- ing New York shipping interests that they are definitely interestea in negotiating with the city for a lease on the Clyde-Mallory docks. Carbonell said that the attorney, Benjamin Whitestone, told him that his clients are interested in start- ing passenger and freight service between New York, Key West and New Orleans. They added that their engineers will be in Key West within the next ten days to survey the dock area and to meet with the city. Carbonell was authorized: by the city commission last week to noti- fy the company that the city is open to offers on the dock. e | U. S. Atlantic Fleet Units, in Key SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER KEY WEST, FLORIDA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1954 —_——_—_— ees Key West May Be New Movie Locale Hal Wallis, Paramount pro- ducer-director, is due here soon to look over Key West as a pos- sible location for filingming “The Rose Tattoo,” Tenessee Williams’ play. The Casa Marina Hotel today said a reservation is being held for Wallis, who may arrive to- night. Burt Lancaster and Anna Mag- nani will star and local talent probably will fill minor roles, Explanation Of Tax Assessor Proposal Given Fla. Voters Decide Issue Pertaining Only To Monroe The proposal that the Monroe County tax assessor take over the city tax job was commented upon today by William F. Larsen, direc- tor, Public Administration Clearing Service of the Uni- versity of Florida. This proposition, house joint Re- solution No. 858, will be’ on the November ballot and it provides that the county tax assessor shail assess all property in Monroe Coun- ty rather than have a separate city tax assessor as at present. Larsen wrote: Present Amendment “This proposed amendment re- lating only to Monroe County would consolidate all tax assessing functions in that county into the office of the county tax assessor. “It is similar to but not identi- cal.with an amendment which fail- ed to he adopted at eral election jn 1952 roe County. 5 “The. difference. is that the pre- sent proposal made this consolida- tion mandatory, whereas the a- mendment two years ago made it permissive with respect to the citizens of the county. 1952 Vote “The citizens of Monroe County voted favorably on this proposal two years ago with its slightly dif- ferent permissive provisons, al- though the amendment failed to get a statewide majority which is ne+- essary even for amendments af- fecting only one county or city. “The lack of permissive. clause in this amendment does mean that a majority of citizens elsewhere in Florida who probably have no di- rect knowledge of local problems in Monroe County and Key West have it within their power to fix a rigid constitutional requirement for these areas regardless of local | tae consolidated tax assessing in Mons}- US. Accuses Red China Of Warlike Acts Lodge Distributes List Of 39 Charges To U.N. Assembly By A. I. GOLDBERG UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. 1 — nual fight to bar Communist China from the U.N. General Assembly, the United States has accused the Peiping regime of 39 “warlike acts of piracy” against ships and planes of seven nations. sentiment.” Adm. Forrestel, Party Arrive For Conference Here Rear Admiral Emmet P. Forres- tel, USN, Commander _ Service Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, and his party arrived in Key West to- day to confer with Service Force, West. Rear Admiral George C. Towner, Commander Naval Base, rendered full honors to Admiral Forrestel in front of the Administration Build- ing on the Naval Station at 8:20 a. m. Admiral Forrestel is scheduled to leave Key West later today. Included in the party -are: Captain L. D. Ballinger, USN — Commander Service Force Atl. Fleet; Captain R. R. Marken, CHC, USN — Commander Service Force Atl. Fleet; Commander C. B. Far- well, USN — Commander Service Force Atl. Fleet; Commander P. K. Romey, USNR — Inspector of Material, Winston-Salem, N. C.; Commander H. I. Smith, USN —| Chief Naval Operations; Com- mander C. H. Plumlee, CEC,.USN — Commander Service Force Atl. Fit.; Ledr. J. P. Kelly, USNR —| Bureau of Ships; Lt. W. R. Zim-| merman, USNR — - ComSERV- LANT (Flag Lieutenant); and Lt. M. J. Sylvester, USN — Chief of Naval Operations. WOMAN ENVOY THE HAGUE,” Netheriznds @®—j The world’s first Moslem ambas- sadress, Begum Liaquat Ali Kahn of Pakistan, presented her creden- tials to Queen Juliana today. ‘ Chief U.S. Delegate Henry Cabot | Lodge Jr. distributed the charges | against the Chinese Reds as a pre-| lude to the final session of the eighth General Assembly here this afternoon (2 p.m. EST) and the! opening tomorrow of the ninth As-| sembly. | The list cited 27 attacks on British ships or aircraft, climaxed | by the shooting down July 22 of a British airliner off Hainan Island in which three Americans and sev- en other persons were killed or were lost Part Of Pattern “My purpose in making public this list,” Lodge said in an ac- companying statement, “is to show that the Hainan shooting was no isolated incident but part of a pat- tern of constant aggressive pres- sure against the free world.” There were five incidents involv- IN THE Laying new groundwork for its an-| U.S. A. MAN OF THE HOUR—Seven-year-old Robert Brady poses re- luctantly for Citizen photographer after rescuing two-year-old playmate from canal at Fifth Street and Patterson Avenue Sat- urday. Son of Lt. and Mrs. R. L. Brady, 2303 Patterson Avenue, Robert has been a swimmer since an eatly age. He shrugged off the incident as. “nothing at all.’—Citizen Staff Photo, Sybil. | incident. ~LL__SSSSssQQ== Spill Dampens Party Spirits Fifteen mellow fellows, ing nice and sure, The truck’s side gave way, And then there were four. | It had been a fine party at the Beach Patio on the Naval Sta- tion — lots of beer and lots of good fellowship. Everyone was in good spirits when the truck carrying 15 sail- | ors started back to the destroyer Witek. \t was a stake truck with woor- en side: On a curve near the Sonar | School, one of the wooden sides gave way, spilling 11 men out in the street. That was Saturday evening. Today, the Navy reported that three men were hospitalized with minor injuries. They are: Wallace Piercy, 22, | minor shock; Clark Patterson, 21, multiple lacerations; and Ed- ward Byrd, 28, injured right foot. { Then Shrugs possible drowning Saturday, day as “nothing at all.” The boy, Robert Brady, runs behind his house and s Lee Sue O’Rourke, dau, Rourke, 728 Waddell A Witnesses to the near- drowning told this story: The tiny girl slipped into the canal while playing with several other children. The canal, at that point, is from between four and five feet deep. Kept Afioat Although Lee Sue Managed to keep herself afloat, a strong tide carried her out to the center of the stream which is about 15 feet wide at that point. The group of children began to scream and their parents came to the scene on the run. But Robert had already dived off a six foot high porch and swam strongly to Lee Sue’s assistance. He reached her side quickly and in approved lifeguard fashion turn- ed her over on her back so her face would be out of the water and towed her ashore. No Ill Effects He had her safely out of the wa- ter in short order. Neither of them suffered any ill effects from the Robert was rewarded by. his mo- ther with a crisp ten dollar bill for his heroism. He is a student at St. Joseph’s School. And Lt. O'Rourke, thankful fa- ther of the little girl, said. today that it was “amazing how cool Robert was when the other chil- dren were so upset.” Man Injured In Accident One man was injured and an- other was jailed on four traffic charges as the aftermath of an ac- cident Sunday night at White and South Streets. According to the police report, the injured man was listed as Charles Dutton, 38, of 1303 Simon- ton St. He was taken to the Naval Hospital suffering from cuts on his forehead and right leg. Driver of the car, identified by | police as Ninea Mistone, 1219 Wil- liam Street, was charged with reckless driving, ¢ausing an acci- dent, no drivers licensz and leav- ing the scene of an secident. The L. Brady, 2303 Patterson Ave PRICE FIVE CENTS ¢-Year-Old Boy Rescues Playmate From Drowning Lad Calmly Dives Into Canal, Off Incident By JIM COBB A seven-year-old boy who rescue da playmate from shrugged the incident off to- son of Navy Lt. and Mrs. R, nue, dived into a canal which wam ashore with two year old ghter of Lt. and Mrs. J. J. O’- venue, visitors at the Brady home. City Fathers Face A Busy Meet Tonight Traffic Code, Zoning Changes Up For Discussion The city commission fac- es a busy agenda tonight with a total of seven ordin- ances slated for considera- tion at their regular meet. ing. Among the ordinances are three making changes in the city’s traf- fic laws. One would set the: speed Iimit “on South Roosevelt~ Boule: vard between Duck Avenue and U. S. 1, at 15 miles per hour, That area includes the Naval Hospitel. Flagler Avenue Speed Another traffic ordinance slated for consideration allows a maxi- mum speed of 35 miles per hour on Flagler Avenue, between First Street and Roosevelt Boulevard, except in school zones. The other traffic ordinance would change Petronia Street to a one way thoroughfare, between Emma and Simonton Streets. Traffic would move in a westerly direc- tion. A variance ordinance to allow the sale of beer in Jimmy’s Drive- In, Flagler Avenue, is expected to | produce some fireworks. Ordinance Protested It was passed on first reading, but residents in the area will pre- sent a peitition tonight asking that the commission turn down the beer license. Another ordinance would allow Al Logun, Simonton Street restaur- ant owner to build to his property line. And the commissioners will also consider a resolution approving a accident occurred when the Mis- | lease of property at the Clyde-Mal- \tone car went out of control and | lory docks to a man identified as struck a telephone pole. By FRANK W. LOVERING The fascinating panorama of the dramatic Florida Keys story is un- Work Of 52 Years Ago Remembered ‘Plan For New Overseas Road Recalls History West — in the southernmost part |of Florida. It was never the intention after | 1902 to end the railroad at Home- ing the United States, including the | Ted to @ point 52 years ago by | stead. seizure of the small yacht with the three Americans released only last ttwo involving Panama, and one each involving Norway, France and Portugal. The list offered the British, Dan- ish and Norwegian delegations — whose governments have recog- nized Red China — new occasion | for voting in the Assembly to keep | out Peiping’s representatives. Notice! Notice! ADULT NIGHT CLASSES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL Registration 7:30 P.M., TONIGHT IN THE AUDITORIUM Small Registration Fee Bied on January 22, |the proposition of the Lower Keys | Property Owners Association that a new “baby” Overseas Highway should be built between Big Pine |Key and Cape Sable on the main- land. In the suggestion is born again the factual story of the daring of Henry M. Flagler when he vision- ed a railroad to Key West — and built it. The railroad was officially open- 1912, ninety |years and three days from Janu- ary 19, 1822, when John W. Simon- | ton bought the island of Key West | for $2,000 from the Spaniard, Juan Pablo Salas. Flagler’s Plan When the rails of the Florida East Coast System had reached Homestead, heart of the néw rich Redlands citrus.and vegetable dis- trict, the construction was but a forecast of what Flagler had in mind — a'deep water port some- where — not necessarily at Key { | A surveying party was based ; there and’ the scouts and linkmen explored southwest through the jtrackless wastes of swamp and |jungle in the Everglades all the | while the Miami - Heomestead line | was being built. Cape Sable Route | young man then little known to the party required two years to finish their work on Cape Sable plan. | They studied channels and water |courses, waves, prevailing winds |and storms, and came back with neers advised against the route. Study of Geodetic Survey maps of the water area north of the Flo- rida Keys clearly indicates the | geographical differences which in jthe end influenced the - Flagler command to adopt a plan to reach the Island City by way of the Keys by way of Key Largo from Turtle Harbor. That distance is 115 miles (shortened 19 miles by the new Ov- The surveyors were led by a} profession, William J. Krome. The | the report in 1904 that the engi-| 'R. Nordenberg. erseas Highway which follows the original Flagler grade.) Proposed Route Between Big Pine and Cabe Sa- ble the proposed “baby” Overseas Highway would extend across 40 miles of shallow water, and then jover 20 miles through the Ever- | glades National Park to a point on the Tamiami Trail near 40-mile Bend. The suggested new highway would tie in the contemplated wes- tern entrance to the Park with the | Overseas Highway serving Key West. If a scenic highway were built | along the Gulf Coast south of Tam- | Pa, an extention of Route 301, but one section of road would have to be built from LaBelle, east of Fort Myers, and Bermont. This wouid cut out the present circuituous road now in use. The proponents say few bridges would be needed on the “baby” highway, that most of the work | would be fill brought up by dred- ges from the adjacent territory, just as Flagler’s crew constructed much of the, East Coast Railroad | Extension between Florida City | and Key We