Redlands Daily Facts from Redlands, California • Page 1

Fires destroy two Redlands churches am ft 11 ii 11 it Ii FIRST METHODIST CHURCH The chimes fower of the First Methodist church at Cajon street and Olive avenue spews flames from every opening ot height of 2:30 a.m. fire. The 64-year-old church was demolished, but firemen saved the adjacent Masonic Lodge and the church's education building. (Facts photos) FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH This was the scene at the First Presbyterian church, Cajon and Vine, shortly before 5:30 a.m. Firemen spray water onto the high-peaked roof already masked by flame and smoke.

Although the church was destroyed, firemen again saved adjacent structures. Additional photos on pages 3 and 6. 76th Year REDLANDS CALIFORNIA, THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1967 $1.50 Per Month Sixteen Pages 10 Cents Methodist, Presbyterian congregations homeless Saudi Arabia warns UN of holy war threat UNITED NATIONS (UPD- Saudi Arabia warned the General Assembly today that 600 million Moslems will lead a "holy war" against Israel unless the U.N. orders an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories. The speech by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Alsayyed Omar Sakkaf came as nonaligned nations w'ere working behind the scenes to get a quick Weather Redlands today: High 92, low 55 (To 1:30 p.m.) Year ago today: High 99, low 61 Wednesday.

High 95, low 55. Smog: Moderate Friday. No burning permitted. Sun: Rises 5:51, sets 8:04 San Bernardino Valley: Sunny and a little warmer Friday. Lows tonight 55 to 63.

Southern California: Late night and early morning low clouds and local fog along the coast but otherwise mostly clear weather will prevail tonight and Friday. Daytime temperatures will be a little warmer over the inland areas. The outlook for Saturday is for continued warm, sunny weather. National Weather (24 hours ending 4 a.m.) HiEhLowPrec. Boston 74 58 Brownsville 93 78 Chicago 68 49 .41 Cincinnati 78 67 .13 Denver 73 50 .02 Des Moines 80 64 Fairbanks 65 46 .02 Fort Worth 98 77 Helena 82 56 Honolulu 89 74 Kansas City 78 66 Las Vegas 103 75 Los Angeles 79 59 Minneapolis 80 64 New York 79 61 Oklahoma City 90 70 Omaha 80 65 .08 Palm Springs 104 72 Sacramento 102 70 Salt Lake City 81 52 San Francisco 64 52 Seattle 74 56 Washington 82 62 Highest lowest 48 states Red Bluff, 105; Big Bear Lake, 41 vote on their compromise resolution to keep Israel from annexing land it captured in the six-day war.

Sakkaf said, "The least the General Assembly must do is to compel Israel to withdraw from aU -Arab occupied territories, including the Old City of Jerusalem which the Israelis have annexed. "We must warn the General Assembly that if this is not done, sooner or later a holy war will be unleashed, not by the Christians, but by devout Moslems whose emotions have been aroused." He rejected any possibility of direct Arab-Israeli talks. The 15 sponsors of the resolution said they hoped to get a vote on the measure as soon as general debate ends, scheduled for Friday morning. Led by Yugoslavia, the nonaligned nations presented the resolution Wednesday only hours after Israel told the mayor ot Jerusalem to take over control of the old Jordanian sector of the city. The compromise resolution simply calls for the-immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops from Arab soil.

It seeks to bridge the gap between the rigid U.S. and Soviet Union resolutions. The United States opposed the compromise resolution because it felt a sunple return to the status quo before the war started would do nothing to solve the Middle East crisis and insure peace. America has a resolution of its own before the assembly calling for direct negotiations between the Arabs and Israel. Usually, resolutions are voted on in the order in which they are presented to the assembly.

However, in asking for a priority vote, the non-aligned powers seek to have the compromise draft voted on first. The move by Israel to take over immediate control of all of the city of Jerusalem lent a sense of urgency to the compromise resolution. Nearly all of the 59 nations that have addressed the assembly durmg the debate have opposed any permanent seizure of Arab lands by Israel. Johnson visits scene of 1964 race riots PHILADELPHIA (UPI) President Johnson used the Philadelphia scene of 1964 racial rioting today to sign a key Great Society measure e.xtend- ing the life of the Teacher Corps and to extoU progress of the war on poverty. In a four-story building now the site ot a highly successful local job training program that started in an abandoned jail, the President appealed to young Americans to "come forward and apply for this great adventure." The bill he signed continues the Teacher Corps program for three more years and was enacted over stiff opposition in Congress.

Johnson took note of this fact in his prepared speech and in added remarks asserted that the antipoverty program was making noteworthy strides despite criticism. After making his stop at North Philadelphia's ghetto area, Johnson flew to Texas to attend the funeral later today of his uncle and to spend a long 4th of July weekend at his ranch. Jayne Mansfield killed in New Orleans crash NEW ORLEANS (UPI)Jayne Mansfield, curvaceous "smartest dumb blonde" of movies, was killed early today when the chauffeured auto in which she was riding smashed into a slow-moving truck on a winding road. The truck had slowed behind Ian insecticide spray truck "fogging" the area for mosquitoes. The top of the auto was torn up so badly that at first it jwas thought to have been a convertible.

Miss Mansfield was 34. The smashup occurred 15 miles from downtown New Orleans on a winding, narrow, two-laned road, U.S. Highway 90, which approaches New Orleans from the Mississippi border and is known as a treacherous stretch of roadway in the area. Miss Mansfield; her lawyer, Sam Brody of Los Angeles; and Ronnie Harrison, 20, of Mississippi City, who was the chauffeur loaned Miss Mansfield by her host at a night club, were killed. Her three children from her divorce-ended marriage to Hungarian muscleman Mickey Zoltan, and Maria, 3, were cut and bruised and suffered shock.

Zoltan suffered severe shock, hospital spokesmen said. Miklos suffered a broken arm. The youngsters were treated at Charity Hospital, then transferred for further treatment at Oschner Foundation Hospital The truck driver, Richard Rabeau of Pensacola, escaped injury. The impact drove the 1965 Buick auto with the Mansfield party almost completely under the truck, shoving the shield and top down and back over the victims. The children were in the back seat.

Officers found two little tan Chihuahua dogs killed in the crash. Two other dogs were found in the car aUve and were taken to an animal Assistant Coroner Dr. Ignacio Medina said the bodies of the victims were "pretty well torn up." Miss Mansfield lay dead in her blue boots, blue stockings and blue dress that was shredded to bits. The automobile was owned by Gus Stevens, a Biloxi, restaurateur at whose night club Miss Mansfield had been appearing. The party was being driven back to the Roosevelt in New Orleans for the (Continued on Page 5) There was indeed 'Double Trouble' The marquee in front of the Fox Theater on Cajon street spelled out "Double Trouble" starring Elvis Presley as the feature attraction last night.

The movie title was probably the most prophetic phrase ever dreamed up by a film studio. A halt block away, in both directions, smoke and flames billowed skyward from two historic Redlands churches, turned into burning pyres either accidentally or more probably at the hands of a pyromaniac or terrorist. It was a night of dancing flames, near-death and heroism that turned a block of Cajon street in the downtown area into a war zone. The fiery night was one in which vacationing firemen were pressed into service. Even an ex-Redlands fireman, Roxy Robbins, who left the department last June 1, dashed to the first blaze at the First Methodist Mobs rampoge again in Buffalo BUFFALO.

N.Y. (UPl)- Mobs of at least 1,000 Negroes burned, looted and shot at police Wednesday in the city's second night of racial violence. At least eight persons were wounded in the bloody disorder that continued into the predawn hours of today. Racial violence also erupted in Niagara Falls, the nation's honeymoon capital 15 miles away. About 200 Negro youths wrecked cars and smashed store windows for at least four hours before police dispersed them.

Officials of both cities feared more violence tonight and set up meetings with Negro leaders in efforts to jninimize it. In Buffalo, snipers fired at police through the smashed windows of scores of buildings and from around darkened corners. Rocks, bottles and profane' insults also were hurled at the 400 or more helmeted police who battled the disorderly mob in a one square-mile area. The police returned the sniper fire with bullets and volleys of tear gas. Church from his nearby home and joined the massive firefighting effort.

The heroes of the flame-engulfed drama played on the Cajon street stage were many. 'I have nothing but praise for every danged one of my firemen," said Fire Chief Joe Budd this morning as he knelt on one knee to rest outside the gutted First Methodist Church, whose once stately walls and towers had been reduced to rubble. Still towering skyward toward the heavens, despite the night of destruction, was the church's tall, slender chimney Chief Budd also heaped praise (Continued on Page 3) Facts staffers have busy early morning It was a busy early mornmg for Facts staff reporter-photographers Herb Pasik and Ron Kibby today. Roused by calls from the police and fire depart ments, the two staffers hustled to the scene of devastation at the Methodist church shortly before 3 a.m. Shooting with Rolleis, the two men recorded what will be community history for years to come.

Then, with the flames knocked down, both left to grab a few quick winks before their regular 7:30 a.m. working day was to begin. But that was not to be. Hardly had they cUmbed in bed when they got word ot the new fire at the Presbyterian church. Both sped back downtown, grab- bmg more rolls of film as they left their homes.

With this second tragedy also duly recorded, both managed to make it home just in time to grab a bite to eat, change clothes and start the task of recording the two events in the Facts for those who were not up quite so early. AU photos on pages 1, 3 and 6 in the Facts today were taken by them. The exceptions are the two overall scenes of the devastation on Page 6 which were taken about 10 a.m. today by Facts photographer Clifford J. Kcnison, By HERB PASIK Two lancimark Redlands churches were destroyed by flames early today and three other buildings damaged in two separate fires in a one-block area, both possibly touched off by arsonists.

One fireman was hospitalized and at least four others, including Fire Chief Joe Budd, narrowly escaped almost certain death from falling debris and downed high voltage power lines. The total loss was estimated conservatively in excess of $Vi million. The two-pre-dawn holocausts destroyed the First Metli- odist church at Cajon street and Olive avenue and the First Presbyterian church at Cajon and Vine street, one block north, in apparently the worst night ot fire in Redlands history. Firemen had just contained the blaze at the flame-ravaged Methodist church and were preparing for mop-up operations when a second fire erupted one block away at the Presbyterian church, turning the historic structure into a flame-belching volcano within minutes. More than 50 firemen from Redlands and San Bernardino were thrown into the heroic effort in which at least three buildings adjacent to the two structures were saved from certain destruction.

Teams of arson investigators probed the still-smouldering ruins of the two massive churches this morning, seeking possible clues to the causes of the fires. Hundreds of residents, awakened durmg the pre-dawn hours by the wailing sirens of emergency vehicles, flocked to the fire scenes to view the spectacular blazes. The fires sent flames and showers of sparks hundreds of feet into the air and cast eerie glows in the sky seen from as far off as San Bemardmo and Yucaipa. The fire that razed the Methodist church and damaged the Redlands Masonic Temple to the north and the church's education building on the east was first reported at 2:38 a.m. by Police Officer Tom Harrigan who saw flames spewing from the interior of the church while on routme patrol.

The huge church structure was totally involved in flames when firemen arrived at the scene. Less than three hours later at 5:13 a.m.. Officer Grover Furlow, standmg outside the still-burning church on Cajon street with two other officers, spotted flames on the roof of the Presbyterian church, one block north of the first blaze. One of the other officers, Det. Dave Bushnell, dashed down Cajon street to the Presbyterian church.

Bushnell said there was a small fire burning on the roof of the church near the street as he kicked in the front doors. The police detective checked the second and third floors of the church, but was unable to spot the source of the fire. Moments after he left church, "the whole darn thing went up at once," Bushnell said. Both Fire Chief Budd and Police Chief Robert Graefe indicated that the two major blazes may have been set by an arsonist or arsonists. They would not speculate further, however, until arson investigators complete their probe of the devastated churches.

"The only thing I can think at the present time," Chief Budd said this morning, "is that both of these fires were intentionally started." He ruled out sparks from the first fire as the cause of the second blaze. "The two fires in the same night seem more than just a coincidence," said Chief of Police Graefe. "The fire was near the front on the roof when Detective Bushnell went into the Presbyterian church," he added, "and shortly after it burst out in the rear." The fire at the Methodist church drew all but one available Redlands firefighting units to the blaze. One engine was held in reserve at fire department headquarters and California Division of Forestry firefighting units were dispatched to each of the city's two fire stations for backup duty. Two engine companies and an aerial ladder unit from San Bernardino also responded to the blaze.

Redlands Fbeman Campbell suffered smoke inhalation while perched on an aerial ladder using-a hose to protect the Masonic Temple threatened with destruction by leaping flames from the burning church. Campbell managed to climb down the ladder, then collapsed on the ground. He was rushed to Community hospital where (Continued on Page 3).