Delaware County Daily Times from Chester, Pennsylvania • Page 1

Judge Orders Haverford JP to Open Records By OM SCHMIDT Dally Times Staff Writer MEDIA COURTHOUSE A Haverford Township justice of peace was to open records of overweight truck cases for the Daily Times by Monday afternoon. Judge John V. Diggins ruled that "any there- fore the newspaper--has a right to see the records under a provision of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code. The Daily Times had brought suit against Justices of the Peace James A. Lynch after he refused last week to show the records to a reporter.

Lynch, through his attorney and law partner, Edward A. Savastio, argued at Friday's hear- ing' on Daily Times'- request for an immediate mandatory injunction that the newspaper had not followed proper procedure in bringing legal action; Judge Diggins, that Lynch must-make, the records available within 72 hours after the signing of the order. The judge signed it about 4 p.m. Savastio asked Judge Diggins to grant a stay of execution of the order to give him an opportunity to appeal. 'The judge refused, saying he felt "time is of the essence" and he did riot want to permit sufficient time for the records to- be altered or destroyed.

Three Daily Times representatives served the order on vastio about 5:30 p.m. at his and Lynch's offices at 1221 -West Chester Pike, Ha.vertown Savaslio and Lynch indicated in that they might seek a stay order in a higher court. i Chester attorney Garland D. (Bill) Cherry, representing the Daily Times, argued Lynch's refusal to make his records available for public inspection violated the Motor Vehicle Code. Cherry read a section of.the code which says a magistrate's records of overweight (ruck cases "shall be subject to inspection on demand of any person." Cherry contended the statute was clear enough "to justify preliminary relief on its merits." The newspaper had sought an immediate mandatory injunction, saying that a long time lapse between filing of the suit and final disposition could "ren- der moot many of the desired inspections." Savastio filed preliminary objections and asked 'Judge Diggins to dismiss the complaint, He contended that another statute requires magistrates to be notified 30 days in advance before any suit is started against- them.

Savastio said the Daily Times See JUDGE, Page 7 CLOUDY Cloudy and not so cold tonight; low, 30. Mostly sunny and breezy Sunday; high 40. Mostly cloudy with little temperature change Monday. Page 4. 91st Year--No.

60,851 Delaware County Daily Except Sunday 18-24 E. 8lh Chester, Pa. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1967 Want Ads TR 4-5252 All Departments TR RATS Folcroft residents are complaining about rats which the borough has been unable to exterminate. See Page 3. Home Deliveries 48c per Week COUNTY HIGHWAY AIDE SUSPENDED Patio Work, Supplies Cited in Probe Four Face Charges In Murder-Robbery By FRANK GALEY Daily Times Staff Writer DARBY Four persons have been arrested in the beating death of a 44-year-old borough man.

Ronald Gorman, 915 Springfield Road, died about 9:15 a.m. Friday in. Fitzgerald Mercy Jack Fraim, 32, of the 900 block Grant Road, Folcroft, also on homicide, aggravated assault and battery, armed robbery and conspiracy charges. Police Chief Albert (Bart.) Raffaele said Fraim, arrested at his home about 10 this morning, is suspected of wielding the club used in the attack. The fourth suspect, Elizabeth Righter, 21, of the 900 block He said Gorman told his moth-ier 9 a.m.

Friday when she er, Mrs. Amy Gorman, "that found her son "laying on the somebody hit on the head with something." Raffaele said then went to bed, but woke up bleeding about 10 p.m. "Eventually he back to bed again," Raffaele said. Mrs. Gorman apparently call- BY CHARLES SIMPSON Hospital from injuries received ed for an ambulance shortly aft- attack, when he was and robbed outside a Main Street bar Thursday night.

To be arraigned this afternoon were: Frank Clark, 22, of the 400 block Sharon Avenue, Sharon Hill; on homicide, assault and battery, armed robbery and conspiracy charges. Timothy the 800 block Main Street, on charge's, of and being an accessory before the fact of a hornicide. bedroom floor near a door." Gorman was taken to the hospital, where Dr. John Colombo pronounced him dead at 9:15 a.m., Raffaele said. Raffaele said Furmanek, a bartender, is suspected of supplying the weapon used in the College Trustees Invited to Dinner The 15 trustees of Delaware proposed community Simpson said.

college have been invited for a free steak dinner at Philadel- shia's fashionable Union League. "It seems to me a fitting beginning on their appointment," said former State.Board of Education member Charles G. Simp- n. Simpson said last July he would treat the trustees to a "soup to nuts" meal if the com- "I am a man of my word," The trustees are expected to be named March 1 at a convention of the college's 21 sponsor' ing school districts. Simpson said the date of the dinner "would depend on the il, 6, Killed By Auto Girl Struck In Upper Darby UPPER DARBY--A six-year- old girl died at 6:04 p.m.

Friday, after she was' struck by a car while walking home from school. Carleen Hering, 961 Brenton Road, Drexel Hill, died from head and internal injuries at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, after was struck at 3:30 p.m. on Bond Avenue, near Cobbs Darby. The driver of the car, Jeffrey A. Reh, 18, of 2574 Bond Upper Darby, was charged with manslaughter by auto Reh 'was released "in $1,000 jail after an arraignment before Upper Darby Justice of the Leeds.

Police said Carleen, a first- grader, at Bernadette's Parochial School, Upper a walked out from between two parked cars as she attempted to cross the street. Carleen was the daughter, ol Mr. and Mrs. John Hering. She had two sisters, Eileen, eight, convenience of the trustees, but and Susan, two.

I would rather it be sooner than later." Simpson, an outspoken critic of state educational policies, 0 is bWnz heid mul college were removed from the state Road, is being held board Ju (hen Goy State board approval of the William W. Scranton at the entry assured its establishment, and Simpson said Friday night the dinner is still on. Fridav on homicide conspfracy charges, monto to Raffaele. He said three other persons also may be arrested in connection with the robbery-attack. said Gorman bad been in a tavern in the 800 block of.Main Street "flashing a roll of money" about 6 p.m.

Thursday. He said Gorman left the bar and was attacked by Clark, Fraim, and another man whoj allegedly "set upon the victim" with a club -in an alley beside the bar. The Righter woman allegedly watched the Raffaeie said. Two other bar patrons "knew what was going to happen," followed the attackers out of the bar and went to Gorman's aid, Raffaele said. Two of the attackers fled, leaving the third "bleeding at the scene," he said.

Gorman al-' so escaped. The injured attacker later refused hospitalization, Raffaele, said. "The victim eventually went home around 7:30 p.m. His mother cleaned a wound on his head," Raffaele said. INSIDE YOUR DAILY TIMES Spacemen had started escape procedures.

Page 2. Romney cramming on world. affairs. Page 6. Darby-Colwyn a eighth straight basketball title.

Page 10. Amusements 14 Arts 5A Bridge 13A Churches 8, 9 Classified Ads 14-17 Comics 13A-15A Community 5 Death Notices 14 Delco Youth 3A Editorials 6 Financial News 12, 13 Obituaries 4 Also Death Notices 14 Sports 10, Television 7A-10A quest of Board President Dr. Otis C. McCreery. The Philadelphia Gas Works executive had been a vocal supporter of a county community evening "at the Rothermel Funer- college and predicted that Pennsylvania State University never would establish an extension campus here.

'It seems to me that the community college in Delaware County has had a career long and full of vicissitudes, up and downs, thorny problems and everything else," Simpson. said. He said he is "overjoyed at the developments" leading to approval of the college plan. Simpson said County Schools Supt. G.

Baker Thompson also would be included in the dinner invitation. "I'll invite Baker. Thompson whether or not he's on the board of trustees. I witnessed some of his sufferings," Simpson said. Thompson headed the county schools office during its fight to find a local community college sponsor.

This is not the first meal Simpson has sponsored in con- See TRUSTEES, Page 4 In addition, she: is sur-vived-by her grandparents, Mr. arid 1 Mrs. C. Fred Hering of Brigantine, N.J. and Earl R.

Hart of Upper Darby. Solemn High Requiem Mass will be sung Tuesday morning at St. Bernadette's Roman Cath- olice Church, Turner Avenue, Upper Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. al Home, Eagle Road, and West Chester Pike, Haverford Township. Smedley Declines Comment State Plans Investigation A private patio allegedly built by state employes on state time and a quantity of missing supplies led to the suspension of Ambrose H.

Smedley as Delaware County highway maintenance superintendent, state officials said Friday. 1 State Highways Secretary Robert G. Bartlett an- mninced Friday he had suspended. Smedley, pending completion of an investigation into I'the highway maintenance, head- quarters STATE ALLEGES patio at George, Piasecki home, 13 E. Delaware Marcus Hook, -was built by state employes'during working hours.

Smedley Weathered Criticism of Roads MEDIA--Ambrose H. Smedley Calling hours will be Monday as spent most of the past 20 CARLEEN HERING struck by car Long-Hair Hassle Heard By DON MURDAUGH Daily Times Staff Writer MEDIA COURTHOUSE The a full moustache and beard- neatly trimmed. There was their lawyer, for- Haverford School District's mer county judge Allen S. Olm- JJ.avV'*««"" ninA 1.M-1 illicit "long-hair" dispute hearing Friday had everything barber shop quartet--and a barber. There was David C.

Harris, the 15-year-old Haverford High School Sophomore, who was sus- them. There was his father, Pierson Harris of 121 County Line Road, and editor for the General Electric Corp. in Philadelphia, with sted 2nd, with his virtually white hair disheveled a slightly in need of a trim around the neck. There was the high school disciplinarian, James R. Ship- nended on Jan.

18. for wearing lett, with his greying hair look- to the scalp' with electric clip- George S. Saulnier, represent- pers (In fact, those on the school district side iooked as if they'd Bryn Mawr, a technical writer just gotten trims for the hearing-) And there was Judge Louis A. Bloom who has the finest "head of scalp" on the Delaware County Court bench. (The judge does have hair on the sides and back.) In the end--after an hour and a half of'testimony--there was neither a hair-raising nor hairsplitting decision.

he would be able to resume classes Monday pending, a decision in the case. The judge noted the youth "would have little difficulty in timony to be transcribed and his' hair tod long, with his locks ing as if it had been cut almost told Olmsted and attorney a it is until the litigation was ing the school district, to prepare briefs. A decision will be made later. However, the judge did suggest to the youth's parents that (hey have his hair trimmed so letting his hair grow back" should the decision be in his favor. Olmsted had asked that the Judge Bloom ordered the tes- district permit young Harris to go back to school with his hair decided, but Judge Bloom refused to issue such a temporary order.

Olmsted said laler the parents would not have their son get years in highway work super- ision. It hasn't been easy. He has come in for his share of criticism, mainly for potholes the hundreds of miles of state-maintained roads in Delaware County. But that problem had been relieved substantially in the past 'our years as a Republican administration in Harrisburg poured millions of dollars into road construction and resurfacing in the county. He also had the sometime thankless iob of keeping the county's roads clear during and after snowstorms.

Today he faces the biggest of who had been fired from job in November, 1961, because he was allegedly "ineffective" in the key post. Smedley stepped into- the job during a time when the PDH was under attack 'by State Sen. Clarence Bell (R-9th District) of 'Upland and others for the poor condition of the county's roads. Smedley and Bell became close allies arid Smedley reportedly at Bell's urging le- tained the job when William W. Scranton was sworn in.

as governor in 1963. In November, 1964, Smedley was one of two county highway officials to receive the first "Clarence D. Bell Award Meritorious Service." Bell said he established problem since he took over, in 1962 as the Pennsylvania Department of Highways (PDH) maintenance superintendent in Delaware County. State Highways Secretary Robert G. Bartlett announced Friday-he had suspended Smedley from his job for alleged "improprieties" and "what appears to be poor management and a violation of the public trust." Smedley, 58, of 235 E.

4th was a Media borough council-, man from 1946 to 1958 and served' as chairman of the borough's highway department. From 1947 to 1957, he also served as PDH assistant mainte- 1 nance superintendent in the county. In 1957, he was named assistant buildings superintendent for the county. left public life and began selling appliances in a Springfield department store. On April 17, 1962, Smedley- a Republican was named by the late Democratic Gov.

David A. Lawrence to the post of county highway superintendent. of Delaware County" to honor highway workers. State Sen. Clarence D.

(R-9th District) of Upland said Friday he was "shocked" at the stale's suspension of Ambrose H. Smedley, Pennsylvania De- ate "what appears to be poor management and violation of the public trust." His action followed receipt of an audit report from State Auditor General Grace Sloan's office, which charged that the maintenance department's record keeping is "absurd." Smedley declined to discuss his suspension or the charges against his department until he received additional details. In a letter to Bartlett, Mrs. Sloan outlined the audit's highlights: That on at least two occasions, highway department em- ployes were used in completing a concrete patio at the home of General Foreman George Piasecki 13 E. Delaware Marcus Hook, a borough councilman.

Piasecki admitted the highway employes worked for him, adding he paid them and didn't know if they worked on the patio during state time. That an unusually large number of tires were assigned to Smedley's state owned vehicle over a period of 28 months. Mrs. Sloan urged an investigation to determine whether any state-owned tires have been improperly used. That state auditors turned up evidence that Smediey had approved giving state-owned paint to non-state employes, including Chester contractor J.

Ray Patterson and Ridley Township Secretary Harry Modesti. Patterson said he knew nothing about the alleged transaction and would not be able to comment unless he knew when it was supposed to have taken place. Modesti denied he had ever received any. paint from the highway department. That auditors could not pin- Bell of an annual award established point what had happened to Kl! AMBROSE H.

SMEDLEY suspended Sen. BelPShockecP By State Suspension partment of Highways niainte- Bell said. by Bell to honor highway workers service." "He is respected highly as a man'of'integrity in his community and among his associates," nance superintendent in Delaware County. He said Smedley has "worked hard and performed in an out- He served two years and then month "by high state officials" hat Smedley "was regarded as department." Smedley, a former Media coun- five years. I See COURT, 4 He replaced Paul R.

Sullivanin 1964 as (he first recipients Bell said he was advised last Banding manner despite many handicaps." "During the blizzard of last lett. one of the most capable county January, Mr. Smedley went for superintendents in the highway as much as 48 hours without department implement "proper procedures to insure adequate food or rest. "I am very fearful of what will oilman, has held the top post for happen to Delaware County if we have another blizzard with- He was one of two men named out Mr. Smedley in there as superintendent," Bell said.

some missing lumber, but suggested an investigation to determine if there's any connection between the lumber and Piasecki's patio. "We recommend prompt action to determine the extent of any surcharges that should be made on account of the improper utilization of Commonwealth employes," Mrs. Sloan told Bart- She also suggested Bartlelt's. controls and inventorying of all such equipment, materials supplies." Bartlett said he was appoint- See SMEDLEY,.