The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 10

D-2 METRO THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Monday, October 3, 1983 'Machine Gun7 Meldon With Plans For A Third Retires, Career Foundation Boosts Minorities Education WHEN MELDON retired from the police department, he was asked by the Hamilton County commissioners to take a 20-day Job teaching Investigative employees at welfare how to make up warrants that could help them In court cases. He did that and agreed to their request to stay as an Investigator. During the 20-year period, Meldon turned his attention away from burglars and robbers and concentrated on welfare chiselers. His investigations resulted In hundreds of convictions. Meldon never lost his "hardline attitude" toward criminals.

When the new Hamilton County Correctional Center was proposed, he noted "all the frills in the Jail," and commented that he felt it was "too much country club and too little correction." He added, with tongue in cheek, that he thought he'd "apply for a Job as maitre d' when the Jail was built Well, Meldon didn't apply for the jail Job, but he has no intention of not staying active. He now has business cards that say he's available for "selected Investigations." As a "private eye," Meldon should make those TV private cops look soft. BY JEFF GUTSELL Enquirer Reporter For several years, William Al'-Uqdah and a handful of friends have tested each other by entering essay contests and solving mind-bender puzzles. "We enjoyed challenging each other," Al'Uqdah said. Now the group has organized as The MIND Foundation with the challenge of aiding private schools for minorities in Cincinnati as well as advancing other social programs.

THE FOUNDATION sponsored a symposium last week to encourage blacks to support Cincinnati Community Academy, Madison-ville, Martin Luther King Academy, West End, or other alternative schools. Speakers included poet Nikki Giovanni, Cincinnati City Councilman J. Kenneth Blackwell and council candidate Sam Britton. The foundation also sponsored an African-American Heritage Day Saturday with a parade and festival. "Cincinnati is a community of proud ethnic heritages," Al'Uqdah said.

"We want to bring out how blacks have contributed to that heritage significantly." AL'UQDAH IS an administra- tor in Hamilton County Public Welfare Department's work relief program. Proceeds from events today and Saturday will become the first contributions to an United African-American Independent' Grade School Fund that MIND Foundation is establishing. Any additional donations should be given directly to the two private academies until the foun- dation can obtain its tax-exempt status from the federal government, he said. Besides working on educational Issues, the foundation aims to study needs for social program Improvements In Cincinnati. Rachel Lewis, board president of the Madisonville academy, said she hopes the foundation can attract thef added community sup- port needed for expansion.

Her two-year-old school has 80 students in kindergarten through 10th grades. The symposium should help get diverse sentiment In favor of such schools for many years, Al'Uqdah said. "The concern has been around for a long time," said his wife, Deborah. "So we're looking for a lot of support to come together." career he served as a member of the robbery squad. He was a legend among his own officers.

One story that Is told concerns a shootout in which two known safecrackers were killed when they were found looting an area supermarket. The men were part of a crime corps that hung out in Newport. After the shooting, Meldon received telephoned threats that Midwest mobsters had brought In a professional killer from New Jersey to "get him." Well, Meldon sent a message of his own to Newport's underworld. He told them that he would appear alone, at the corner of Sixth and York Newport, on a certain date. Meldon showed at the scheduled time.

He was carrying his pistol and the familiar little suitcase that contained his machine gun. No one showed up. going to show the unpleasant side of Soviet lifestyle, she said. Meyer wasn't holding herself out as an expert on Soviet culture. There are 15 different republics.

Ten days in Moscow-Leningrad does not a John Reed (the American journalist idealized in make. The Soviets covet the tourist dollar. There were a lot of booths, full of wooden products, amber Jewelry, nicely illustrated books, for tourists. There were no surprises, no Solzhenitsyn, in the book racks. "WE DID have one person traveling with us who had a Polish passport (his wife was American), and they spent a lot of time RETIREMENT STORIES aren't usually interesting.

There's an exception when the retiree has killed three men, shot six others and, at age 72, plans another career. Robert "Machine Gun" Meldon acquired his shooting record during a 28-year career as a Cincinnati policeman. He retired from that job on Oct. 1, 1963, to take a 20-day job with the Hamilton County Welfare Department. He stayed at the department for 20 years.

Last Friday, Meldon retired from the Welfare Department and announced that he'll keep active by starting a career of doing 'selective criminal investigations." Long-time residents of the Tristate will remember Meldon as a "menace to criminals." HIS POLICE career included shootouts that left three known Russians CONTINUED FROM PAGE B-l She spent three days in Moscow and four in Leningrad. The cities are extremely clean, no litter. Her immediate impressions of Moscow were the lack of houses, just apartment complexes. The people, in their drab, unstylish clothing, eyed the Americans curiously. In any large city, including New York City, people aren't as personable, she said.

"BUT THERE was no hostility," she said. "There were soldiers around, plenty of soldiers, but there were no guns. We felt perfectly safe going out late at night. A J- A- f' i "(' -Lk I 1 621-1332 Two Shot Dead; Two Held OCTOBER SPECIAL CUSTOM-MADE HEARING AID THAT'S WORN ALL IN-THE-EAR II 1 I dflLC PRICE Two Cincinnati area residents were killed in separate shooting incidents during arguments, police said. Ophelia Anderson, 55, 835 Poplar Queensgate, was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Wizzie Thompkins, 52, also of 835 Poplar police said.

Witnesses said the two women were arguing about money when Thompkins was shot once with a revolver at 11:10 p.m. Frank Weikel criminals dead and six others wounded and 10 additional gun battles that ended without harm to himself or his opponents. All the shootouts were with a "machine gun" he carried in his car-which resulted in his nickname, "Machine Gun" Meldon. He packed the gun away when he retired, and after 15 years-in August of 1978-the gun was stolen from him. Meldon was made a detective on the police department In the 1940s.

The last 15 years of his police No fear of being mugged. The subways were clean and efficient." The hotel In which she stayed and ate most of her meals and engaged In social activities in the lounges was as modern and luxurious as Cincinnati's Westin. It was built for the 1980 Olympics, she said. "The freedom to go Into town, to Just get on the subway without anybody watching us surprised me," she said. "We even rode it out to the suburbs.

The people were friendly out there, as much as we could speak to them." It Is necessary for tourists to keep in mind that the best side of Soviet life is on display in Moscow proper. The government-employed tour guides certainly aren't Enquirer Photo BY DICK SWAIM DYE YOUR VINYL COLOR OF YOUR VINYL TOP in in ODE OctV'83 IN-HOME CONSULTATION AVAILABLE Come in or THIS IS ALL THERE IS TO IT! NO WIRES NO CORDS NO TUBES ASK YOUR .1 rtV Cincinnati Hearing Aid Specialists, inc. CINCINNATI, OHIO 3033 VERNON PLACE Body Pulled From Ohio River 0 VALUABLE COUPON Cincinnati Police found an unidentified body at noon Sunday in the Ohio River near the John A. Roebllng (Suspension) Bridge. The Hamilton County coroner's Man With Gun Nabbed At Movie "a.uu urn ANY PURCHASE $15.00 OR MORE Only one coupon per order.

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But the tourists were advised ahead of time not to deal in the black market, she said. She was asked If she felt the presence of American Journalists working in the Soviet Union In recent years has helned Americans better understand the nature of Soviet day-to-day. "I really don't think so," she said. "You know, you get the usual film of May Day at Red Square, but you don't see much In the way of documentaries or anything of depth," Meyer said. Saturday, police said.

In Lincoln Heights, Ben Dickey, 38, 1045 Beahel was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of Larry Williams, 21, 10283 Jasmine said Ervin Martin, Lincoln Heights police chief. Witnesses said Dickey and Williams were arguing about personal property when Williams was shot with a revolver at 8 p.m. Saturday, according to Martin. Police are still Investigating. office said the body was that of a black male in his 40s.

The coroner has not determined when the man died or the cause of death. ton, on a charge of disorderly conduct. Lile had a pellet gun in his lap when he was arrested, police said. The suspect told police he had bought the pellet gun earlier in the afternoon, and had taken it out of the bag during the movie to check to see if it worked. The gun was not loaded, police said.

In Westwood a northbound car at 6 p.m. when he walked Into traffic in the 3400 block of Boudinot Avenue, West-wood. Witnesses said the driver had no chance to avoid the child, police said. plants Saturday. The department said the average height of the plants was 12 feet, and its street value was estimated at $500,000.

No arrest was made, and the owner of the land was not known Sunday. The department will check county lands records today. 221-8995 753-7994 867-1313 A 21-year-old Covington man was arrested Sunday by Florence Police after brandishing a pellet gun during the showing of the movie "War Games" at the Florence Mall Road Cinemas. Florence Police received a call about 4:50 p.m. that a man had pulled a gun out during the movie.

Sgt. Chester Snow and officer Bobby Joe Wince responded and arrested Robert Lile, 21, of Coving Child Hit By Car Two-year-old Brian Hatke was critical condition Sunday night the intensive care unit of Children's Hospital after being struck by a car. Police said the child was hit by r- i Oh What A Feeling! New Friends, Fun Action. Dartre TnninhH 400 Marijuana Plants Destroyed SOLD ELSEWHERE FOR $550.00 30 Day Money Back Guarantee jPHOME 861-35631 DOCTOR ABOUT OUR REPUTATION I Price in City. Nightclub Ballroom Slow Dancing Swing "Hustle Latin Disco County Ample Lit Parking ray i Studio Dance CALL 791-6330 I09S9 Reed Hirtmai Hgwy.

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