The Mexia Daily News from Mexia, Texas • Page 1

1 i 1 JL. i. 5G WE BRING THE WORLD 10 YOU Continuous Publication Since 1899 Single Copy 10' NEA COMPLETE FEATURE SERVICE MEXIA, TEXAS 76667 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1969 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS LEASED WIRE SERVICE NUMBER 206 LEGISLATORS RETURN TO WORK City Beat By JOHN MOSS POP PAPOOSE An unidentified young music lover carries her Disgusting! That is our opinion' of the ain carnival that they had in Lewlsyllle during the Labor Day weekend. We can't understand the. attitude of authorities in standing by idly as young people flagrantly flaunt the law.

Possession of marijuana is a felony punishable 1 by prison sentence. Yet the young people at the so- called pop festival possessed sold marijuana, and smoked marijuana- Swimming in the nude is indecent: exposure, misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200. The revelers Lewisville were just as naked as could be. The attitude ofthose in authority seemed to be that "they aren't hurting anyone so let them have their fun." How can anyone say that someone smoking marijuana isn't hurting himself? As the Rev. Joe Eakln so ably put it in church Sunday morning though, the fault is not with the 50,000 young people but rather' it with their 100,000 parents.

The Lewisville police hief wants the hippies to come ----------young child in a rnake-shift papoose style harness in front of her back next year The mayor isnot as she walked around during the Texas International Pop Festival so sure. We would bet that if at Lewisville. (AP Wirephoto) the of LeW i vin wer Nudie Drugfest Is Now Over And Hippies Are Invited Back LEWISVILLE, Tex. (AP) The sweet smell of success and marijuana blessed the Texas international Pop Festival, which Famed Columnist Drew Pearson Is Dead At 71 WASHINGTON (AP) Columnist Drew Pearson was described in one of his own books as "either loved or hated; there is no middle ground." His admirers were many readers of his column, "The Washington Merry-Go-Round" who looked on Pearson as the man who exposed skeletons in governmental closets tiuring four decades. But his reporting through newspapers and broadcasting brought him into frequent conflict with officials, including two presidents who called him a liar.

Pearson 71 died Monday after suffering a heart attack at his Maryland farm. He had been hospitalized several weeks, returning home only last Friday. Although controversial, Pearson was affable mild-mannered and a Quaker. Pearson's first marriage in 1925 to the Countess Felicia Gizycka, daughter of Eleanor "Cissy" Patterson, publisher of the Washington Times-Herald, ended in divorce, In 1936 he married Luvie Moore, who survives along with a daughter, Ellen Arnold, and a stepson, Tyler Abell, former U.S. chief of protocol.

a promoter estimated drew nearly 200,000 to this North Texas town over the long Labor Day weekend. The festival concluded with its biggest crowd Monday night, somewhere in the vicinity of 65,000. There was much drug use but most local residents took their protecting pot-shots of nude swimming at a camping area provided for those attending the festival. No police were used inside the actual festival grounds, but officers were plentiful on the perimeters. The music lovers were mostlv allowed to police themselves.

The sweet, sticky smell of marijuana hung like a cloud over the crowd, and ntescaline, LSD, and other drugs were, peddled among the crowd. The drug use apparently caused only one tragic incident. A three-year-old girl was treated for an overdose of LSD. She was released from a Dallas hospital. Nobody knew how she got the drug hospital attendants said.

One man died at the festival, but that was attributed more to the above-90-degree heat than anything else. Lewisville authorities caded some roads leading to a reservoir area where the hippies were skinny-dipping, Police Chief Ralph Adams said it was "home-town gawkers" causing any problems connected with the flesh paddling. Adams was elated with the whole festival. Midway through the final night, he was summoned to the stage, and there received an ovation from the crowd, which labeled him a true "peace officer," Chief Adams responded by inviting them back again, Mom- ents earlier, Lewisville Mayor Sam Houston told newsmen it was his personal hope that the festival not return to Lewisville. It's doubtfull whether any merchants would mind another visit.

Stores did a booming business and suffered no damage or inconveniences because of the festival. Denton County Sheriff Wylie Barnes said 36 arrests were made in the festival vicinity by late Monday. They included 12 for being drunk, 9 for narcotics possession, 2 for carrying prohibited weapons, 6 for driving while intoxicated and 7 termed "miscellaneaous" by the sheriff. The festival loosened up considerably as the final night wore on past midnight. For many who listened to the blaring hard- rock, it was the last night before school For others, it was just the last night before the journey to the next festival.

Panhandling was on the increase as youths tried to finance trips across the country. Some just asked an information booth to relay their destination, hoping someone would offer a ride. Many found rides, including one as far away as Boston. The final night also had more of a carnival atmosphere than the two preceding. An evangelist's van was parked across from the entrance gate, offering free sandwiches and salvation.

Many last-night tickets were being scalped, and there was a steady demand for newsmens' admittance badges once they left the festival for the night, Well into the night, sparklers and fireworks began to appear, Some tied them to balloons and let them drift, adding more psychedelics to the scene. Others played with electric yo-yo's that glowed in the dark, polled they would prefer that their town get national publicity in some other manner than at a nudie drugfest as they experienced during the weekend. Mr. and Mrs. Lynn (Sonny) Adams III left today for a well deserved vacation.

They are heading for Washington, D. C. and then to Alexandria, Virginia, for a visit with Mr. and Mrs. James B.

Adams and family. Sonny received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University Friday and the presentation of that degree ended a long grind for him and his wife, Debbie. Donny scored the best possible grade 4.00 during his last six weeks and didn't do badly 3.10 for all his years in Baylor. He worked fulltime, too, both during the regular term and during the summers. He worked for Simons six days a week.

It wasn't easy for Debbie either. She worked fulltime and also helped Sonny by doing his typing. Actually, Sonny finished his class work on July 11 and has been here helping hisdad, Lynn Adams since that time. Blake Smith Jr heard from Mrs. Edward Carter during the weekend and she said that Mr.

Carter is doing fine and making good progress and should be home before too long. Mr. Carter, president of the First National Bank, is in Room 417 at Scott and White Hospital. Mrs. Lizzie M.

Grisham slipped on a rock and fell while walking on Highway 171 at the Tehuacana city limits this morning. A man saw her fall and alerted Mrs. C. W. Chilcoat who lives nearby and she called an ambulance.

Mrs. Grisham, who suffered abrasions and facial injuries, was taken to the Wortham hospital. She was in a semi conscious condition. She is the mother of Mrs. Dewey Estes.

City Manager Gerald Yarbrough returned his wife, Betty, to Providence Hospital in Waco Saturday morning after she again became ill. He said she was just slightly improved this morning. Between 400 and 500 people gathered at Black Cat Field Sunday evening for the closing service of the 1969 Summer Crusade of the congregations of four Mexia churches the First Baptist, First Christian, First Methodist and First Presbyterian. The service was an excellent one and featured songs by the Sunshine Group of the Mexia State School and a sermon by Allen Gulledge, youth director of the Casa Linda Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Testimonials were given by two Dallas teenagers.

Presbyterian Men To Meet Tonight A monthly meeting of the Men of the Church will be held in the Fellowship HaU of the First Presbyterian Church tonight at 7 o'clock, Marvin Kinsey, president of the organization, will preside, and Raymond Bennett is in charge of the program. Dinner will be served by ladies of the church. AUSTIN (AP) Senators who cut short their holiday weekend to work Labor Day really get down to tax facts and figures today. A vote of the Senate State Affairs Committee was expected shortly after 9 a.m. on a House- approved tax bill, with the full Senate ready to debate ways to raise new revenue at its 10 a.m.

ession. The House which did its tax work last week, was schedu'ed to reconvene at 2 p.m. Most of the 21-member State Affairs Committee was in town Monday to hear three hours of testimony of the House tax package. Sixteen witnesses, mostly businessmen or business lawyers appeared at the special meeting. Sen.

A.R. Schwartz of Galveston had delayed the hearing over the weekend, saying he wanted Texans to have a chance to get to Austin for the discussion. But only two men, including one from Austin, showed up who said they were representing only themselves. And the holiday took its toll in spectators too as there were never more than 20-30 in the balcony. Most of them wore casual sports clothes and carried cameras.

The state comptroller estimated the House bill would raise $378 million in new taxes, but he said technical uncertainties in in writing one section prevented him from including his estimate a provision which some say could bring in $25 million to $100 million a year. That provision puts under the sales tax materials bought by contractors for federal projects. Rep. Bill Swanson of Houston, the sponsor, assured the committee it had been held constitutional and he said Texas' neighboring state already were gaining revenue from a similar tax. The House bill also increases the sales tax from 3 to 3.5 per cent; increase the cigarette tax by 4-V 2 cents a pack; levies a 10 per cent "entertainment tax" on professional sports and commercial tourist attractions; imposes a 10 cents a drink tax at private clubs; boosts the corporate franchise tax by 50 cents temporarily then scales it down to 25 cents in 1972; places a $15 tax on vending machines, except newspaper racks and machines selling food or items costing a dime or less; levies a 25- cent tax on stock transfers; and places special taxes on sand, gravel and shell dredged from state-owned lands.

The dredging tax, said Houston lawyer. Harold Demoss, is "con- fiscatory, unconstitutional, punitive and otherwise I have nothing to say against it." DeMoss represented coastal dredging interests. Douglas Jackson of Dallas, one of several vendors who protested the proposed $15 tax on vending machines, aid their profit margin is so slim that the additional levy could put them out of business. He said the average profit on vending machines is only $.45 per cent, and thet $15 a machine would wipe out 1 per cent of that profit. J.B.

Gallarneau of Amarillo said he cleared $16,000 last year operating 1,400 machines. "Multiply 1,400 by $15 and you get that's my story.he said, Jim Yancy of the Texas Ma ufactuers Association claimed business already is paying 50.5 cents of every tax dollar in Tex. as, and he objected to the proposed increase in the corporate franchise tax. Of the major states competing for industry with Texas, Pennsylvania has the next highest business tax rate of 40 per cent per cent of every dollar, said Yancy. Joe Hewitt of Richardson, one of those who said he was speaking only for himself, urged the committee to place beer and whiskey under the sales tax and to increase excise taxes on alcoholic beverages.

He said alcohol is costing Texas $833.4 million a year and is paying only $50 million in taxes. He quoted from a release of Texas Alcohol Narcotics Education, of Dallas, which claim that alcohol accounts for 60 per cent of the admissions to men- tal hospitals, 76 per cent of crimes are alcohol involved and up to 38 per cent of traffic accidents are cassed by drinking driver. Jep Fuller of the Texas Drew- ers Institute said Texas is paying an excise tax of $4.30 a barrel on Beer, but it should be no more than $2.38. "Unless the Texas breweries can get some relief in their excise taxes they are going to have to go up again on the price of beer, and this will then be pyramided to the consumer," said Fuller, a former state senator from Port Arthur. Bob Lusk of Austin, the other man speaking just as a private citizen, said he was opposed "to any increase in the sales tax." Lusk, a public accountant, has been at almost every legislative session in recent weeks ing a sign protesting sales tax increases.

Harry Hubbard, speaking for the United Labor Legislative Committee, said, "This legislature has seen the evidence, during the first called session, that it is faced with a taxpayers revolt on the state level. We urge you to bend to the needs and will of the people, and to adopt some meaningful tax reform measures. must, in the final analysis, pay its fair share of the load." 49 Killed In Wrecks During The Weekend By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Automobile travel during the Labor Day weekend claimed a grisly toll of at least 49 lives in Texas. Altogether there were 68 deaths from violence in the Lone Star State over the extended holiday period. The traffic toll mounting steadily as motorists returned home, even topped the total of 44 which the Department of Public Safety had estimated in advance would die in accidents on streets and highways.

The Associated Press tabulated the number of deaths between 6 p.m Friday and midnight Sunday: These were among the latest to be reported: Mrs. Norma Jarrell Evans, 34, of Evans, was killed and seven persons injured, two critically, when three cars piled up Monday night on U.S. 87 eight miles north of Deweyville in Southeast Texas. Taken to an Orange hospital in critical condition were Dale Emory Belt, 15, of Orange and Charles Bea- var of Buna. Sandra K.

Marshall, 4, of Houston slipped from the west bank of the San Jacinto River Monday and drowned. A fire department spokesman said the tiny girl was crabbing with her parents when the mishap oc- Girl Born Without Face Finally Goes To School CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) Deborah Fox, born 2 years ago virtually without a face, goes to school today for the first time in her life. It took 37 operations and help from a lot of people to get her there. Debbie said she was "very happy" to be in a class with other children at last.

Before today, Debbie's education consisted of taking part in classes by telephone hookup, bolstered by three hours of private tutoring each week at her farm home in Soddy north of here. Now she's an eighth grader in a special education class at White Oak School. A spokesman for the Hamilton County Department of Education said it would said, were a music box and a Debbie, who has an I.Q. of about 128 and is an amateur poet, has tried to answer all her mail. She said she has been corresponding with several GIs in Vietnam.

She hopes she can continue to make top grades in school without giving up her letter writing and poetry. Debbie has collected 25 of her poems for publication including one about the Johns Hopkins operation, "The Six Best Men of My a reference to the six physicians. Debbie is the youngest of four children of Mr. and Mrs. Edward J.

Fox. Debbie has said she would like to work with handicapped be a "transition room for Deb- children when she grows up. In addition to her face, one of Debbie's hands and one of her legs is deformed. bie to get her accustomed to a school situation," Debbie had her and most operation last June at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. It was carried out by six physicians in hours.

With brain, eye and plastic surgery, the doctors iterally changed the configuration of Debbie's skullbones. They moved her eyes from the sides to the center of her face and started rebuilding her nose. Further surgery is planned on her nose and mouth after tests this fall at Baltimore, Her appearance is still not normal. Stories about the operation brought Debbie a flood of mail, including gifts, from around the world. Her favorite gifts, she Two Cars Collide In Mexia Monday Two 1967 Fords driven by women from Wortham and Austin collided in Mexia Monday afternoon.

Ruth Jenkins Freeman, of Austin, was reported to be slowing down to make a left turn and her car was hit from behind by one driven by Jacqueline Collier, of Wortham, according to the police report. Officer Joe Teel investigated the accident which occurred on Highway 14. curred. Mrs. Edward Allen, 19, of Winters drowned Monday afternoon in the Colorado River near the McCuIloch County town of Stacy.

The body was recovered about two hours later. Daniel Powell, 52, of Houma, was killed Monday evening when his car hit bridge pilings while trying to make a turn off a highway near Nederland in Southwest Texas. A two car crash in Southern Dal Is County Monday took the lives of Mrs. Alma Lucille Gibson, 62, of Lancaster, and Dennis Eugene Yates, 31, of Dallas. Lonnie Day Gibson, 63, husband of Mrs.

Gibson, suffered multiple injuries. Homer Small of Fort Worth was killed Sunday night in a two-car collision in Forth Worth. James Franklin Owen, 23. of Paso was killed when his car ran into a ditch in Ei Paso. 'hree youths were killed and two others injured Monday when their car went out of control and slammed into a tree in Arlington.

They were Gary Leonard Rushing, 18; Jeffery Joyner, 17, and Ricky Smith, age unknown, all of Arlington. L. G. Govan 18, of Austin was killed early Monday south of Austin on Interstate 35 when his car overturned. Four young persons died in their car when it ran off U.S, 82 in North Central Texas crashed into a creek bank and burst into flames.

The accident occurred about 1 a.m. Monday four miles west of Muenster. Dead were Leon Edward Endres, 20, and Glenn Kelemet, 20 both of Muenster; Janice L. Truben- bock, 20, of Dallas, and Kristi L. Allert, 20, of Washtucna, Wash.

A San Antonio family homeward bound from vacationing in Corpus Christi met tragedy just a few miles from their destination early Monday morning. Dead in a three-car pileup was Cynthia Campos 7. The father, Frederico Campos, reached to place one of his sleeping children back on a seat, causing the car to swerve and resulting in the three-way collision. Mr. and Mrs.

Campos and their other live children suffered injuries. Partly Cloudy Partly cloudy and warm through Wednesday. Low tonight near 70 degrees. High Wednesday in the 90's. Navasota River Trails Show Was A Great Success There was no smoking of pot and no frolicking in the altogether, but Limestone County had its own festival Saturday night and Us overwhelming success surprised even those people responsible for its presentation.

Directed by Tom Chatham and sponsored by the Confederate Reunion Grounds' Joseph E. Johnston Camp No. 94, the Navasota River Trails anthology was presented under a star studded sky before a beautiful backdrop of American flags and the flags of the States and Mexico. A crowd conservatively estimated at between 1,200 and 1,500 people saw the highly entertaining musical on a stage in front of the Randall Rand home on Highway 14 just north of Groesbeck. It was the probably the biggest and most colorful inusicaj production in the history 01 Limestone County, Among; those on hand for the performance were Senator Ralph Yarborough, State Senator Murray Watson, and Pr.

Kermit Hunter, fine arts dean at South' era Methodist University. The Navasota River Trails anthology had a cast of more than 200 and highlighted the history of Limestone County with picture, humor and music. It brought out the need for comple. tion of the Navasota River trail from Highway 84 at Lake Mexia past the federate Reunion Grounds and to Highway 14 at Fort Parker State Park. Completion of this trail is considered a necessity if the Reunion Grounds is to be fully developed into a tourist and fine arts center to help elevate the area artistically and caliy.

The star of the show was William Pickett, a descendant of General George Picket who Jed. the ill fated charge during the Civil War. Mr. Pickett, a member of the New York Opera Company, sang a medley from "South Pacific" and drew tremendous applause when he asked if there was anyone in the audience who remembered the 1936 Casa Manana song, "The Night Is Young and You Are So Beautiful," A rich baritone with a powerful voice that literally projected his personality into the audience, Mr. Pickett, accompanied on the piano by William Cooper, sang a medley from and several selections from "Faint Your Wagon." He was also applauded when he asked several youngsters in the audience to join him as he sang "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands," Also joining him in this selection was the 100-voice State School.

The Rev. W. Hammond directs the Sunstune Group. A native Texan and an assistant professor of voice and co rector of the Lyric Theatre Opera Workshop at Southern Methodist University, Mr. Pickett graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, He made his debut with the New York Opera Company in 1956 ami has also appeared with the Canadian Opera Company.

His next appearance will be in "Rigoletta" in Houston. Saturday night's show started with a display of the beautiful art of Rufus Oliver beck. Mr. Oliver is a noted sculptor and the artistic figures he has carved from mesquite and walnut are a marvel to see. And during the art show, music was played by an outstanding home talent group known as Tim Marlin's Rock Band.

With Tim in the group were Jimmy Phillips, George (Buzay) Bell and Jon Hoiioway. Another interesting event of the evening was a real livestock auction conducted by a real auctioneer, Russell deCordova, commander of the Joseph Johnston Camp, Perched precariously atop a cattle trailer and assisted by Brown BUI Collins, Cecil Johnson and George Suther' Ian, Mr. deCordova auctioned two head of cattle and two sides of beef with the buyers being Mrs. Jimmy Bradley, $l50j Waiter Cant, $150; Robert Aycock, of Houston, $160; and Mr, and Mrs. Guy Durham, $200.

Prior to the show, Tom Ghat' ham thanked the many people who joined together to make It possible and paid tribute to the memory of Miss lone Busby Me- Swane, who was in the forefront of efforts in behalf of the federate Reunion Grounds. The Groesbeck High School band, directed py Mike WiUtung. and the State School Sunshine Group provided the background music for the presentation, and Mrs. Brown Mr, aad Mrs. Bill Collins, joe Cannon and Mrs, Bill kokey were tog narrators.

Pictures ol i4m.e§tQjw See.