Palladium-Item from Richmond, Indiana • Page 1

Item Richmond and 1 vicinity Much colder, cloudy Friday. The Palladium-Item Receives Associated Press and International News Service Leased Wire Reports. AND SUN-TELEGRAM Vol. 118, No. 1 Palladium Eitabliihed 1831.

'eaGoBatn with Sun-Talesram 1907 and wlta ttssa Ej-o-Goa Pegs Richmond, Friday, Jon. 2, 1943 Indiana Final Edition Single Copy 5 Cents i I 1 1 1 1 ij i 1 nvn i I Li (5JUUI LJ Li JU Li UULUJU 5iU LUL ii i i Ry aninfl vrsnxo rtAm Yf leif- IVlDVC Meadows Takes Tornado Toll Reaches 20; ans rageoy Mccurs in Blinding onowstorm fciniwMiil iinilii rn ri-1 ifr inwiiiiiiniiiliiiiniililiiirn'iiii-ri iinniuiimiiiiiiiniiiliiniinlMiriiiiDnftwiiiiiriiniiiLiiiiiin mm tiiwT rrcwi.A-f flfWIftlrliMrtftKWifffiti Before the flower-banked council chamber rostrum, Lester E. Meadows Thursday noon is sworn in as mayor of Richmond. The oath is being administered by City Clerk Atfcer Reeg, right. Retiring City Attorney Earl Keisker, master of ceremonies, looks on.

Frank Chambers was. elected Common council president Thursday after noon induction ceremonies installed a new city administration headed by Mayor Lester E. Meadows. Chambers, a councilman at -large, will serve for one year. He succeeds-John RusselL B.

F. HarT ris, Fourth district councilman, was named vice-chairman. Mayor Meadows was sworn in by City Clerk Ather Reeg. The clerk administered oaths of office to council members and appointive officers. City Court Judge Andrew Herlits was sworn by Wayne Circuit Court Judge G.

H. Hoelscher. Chamber Packed Retiring City Attorney Karl Keisker served as master of cere- chamber, where the ceremonies were held, was packed to capacity. Mayor Meadows, who stepped into the mayor's office" after serving nine years as city- expressed "humble gratitude" in having been selected as mayor. 'I shall strive to merit that confidence by serving to the best of my ability." He declared that he would make every effort to bring to a reality the public improvements he had discussed during his campaign.

Tribute To Ball The. Induction program concluded with a standing silent tribute to the late Judge Benjamin A. Ball I lrrnn Spent Xmas With Wife's Parents Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ryan, formerly of Richmond, and their three children were among the 14 holiday travelers killed in a rear end crash of two Missouri Pacific passenger trains in Missouri Thursday morning.

The children were James, 20 years old, Judy, 18, and Frank, 9. The Ryan family had spent the Christmas holidays with Mrs. Ryan's parents; Mr. and Mrs. K.

H. Knox, 3363 East Main street. According to Mr. Knox, the family left Richmond about 10 o'clock Wednesday morning. They were scheduled to leave St Louis at midnight Wednesday.

Knox Contacted Early Thursday evening Mr. Knox was contacted by a representative of the Missouri Pacific luuuau iciuug join vi tile acci- uciii.N, tiuwcvcr, uie oiiiciai was unable to give Mr. Knox any definite details or even to tell him if the Ryan family had been killed or injured. The Palladium-Item in a telephone call to The in St, Louis was told by Harry Wilson of that paper that the Ryan family was listed by the railroad company as having been passengers on the last Pullman. Mr.

Wilson said there were no survivors of that section of the train. He also said baggage which carried the home address of the Ryans in Los Angeles was taken from the wreckage. Many of the bodies remained unidentified, Mr. Wilson, said. About midnight Thursday a Mr.

Vollins, representative of the railroad, and talked to H. Knox, Mrs. Ryan's brother. He told Mr. Knox they had posi- Ryan family.

At 12:10 a. m. Friday, a story, carried by" The Associated Press quoted Ltr K. K. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway patrol as saying he was fairly certain of the identification of eight bodies.

Tha Ryan amily was listed among tha eight, Aifr and 'MVa Ifniv la mond at 10 o'clock Thursday night for Missouri. Movie Director 1 Mr. and Mrs. Ryan were graduated from the local high school. They had made their home in Mr.

Ryan was a movie writer and director. His last picture starred Deanna Durbin in "Can't Help Singing." He had been free lancing recently and was scheduled to go into production of a new picture the first of the year." Mr. Ryan's late father, Martin, was manager of the Western office here many years before his retirement. He died about two years ago. Mrs.

Martin Ryan makes her home in Los Angeles. Mr. and Mrs. W. H.

Phillips and daughter, Mary, of South Sixteenth street were spending two weeks in California visiting their; son, While in California, they were staying in the Ryan home while they were here. Mrs. Ryan is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Knox, a brother, K.

H. (Bud) Knox, jr. and a sister, Mrs. J. A.

Witter of Detroit. Mr. Ryan is survived by mother, Mrs. Martin Ryan, a brother, Ned, and a sister, Margaret, all of Los Angeles. Ex-State Lawyer Gives $1,000 To Shades Park Fund INDIANAPOLIS, (AP) Governor Gates disclosed Thursday that Will H.

Hays, former Sullivan lawyer and onetime postmaster general, had contributed $1,000 to the "Save-the-Shades" drive. The governor's office made public a letter from Hays in which ha said the check would serve to emphasize his appreciation "of what you (Governor Gates) are doing to develop Indiana's park and recreational potential to the limit," The state is attempting to raisa $300,000 by public subscription to purchase the scenic area near Crawfordsville. Temperatures Yesterday 55; 31; Noon, 45; 31. Precipitation, 1.74 inches. Recipe For Cooking Your Goose If you are interested in the quickest way to cook your goose, here is a fine way; just keep your temper continually at the boiling point.

But if you are interested instead in keeping folks' interest in your buying, selling, or renting offers at boiling point, it's cold turkey you want to talk. And the test way is to talk to them through Palladium-Item Want Ads. To contact over 80,000 folks at once, phone your Want Ad to 1121. 5. whose death occurred Dec.

17. Judge Ball was to have taken office for another term Thursday. Councilmen who gpoke briefly were Republicans Eotoert Law, Everett Eastman and Walter Baldwin, and Democrat, Clarence Myers. The Rev. Howard J.

Brown, Central Methodist church pastor, declared "if there is any excuse for my being here at all, it is to challenge us to our mutual high responsibility as elected officers and as citizens to make our city and our nation a better place In which to live. Quotes Lincoln "Abraham Lincoln ones used this matchless phrase, we eRll nobly save or measMy less tiiia last best hope of It fcaa been our destiny in our beloved America more than once to be tha last best hope of earth. It was in 1620 when the pilgrims stood on that stern and rockbound coast; it was in 1776 when the shot heard around the world was fired for independence; it was in Lincoln's day when the shackles were broken for a whole race of people. We still hope to keep those shackles broken. That places a tremendous responsibility upon us all.

"The glory of our democracy is that it means every one of ua. The government is always the and Gary when ice snapped wires. There were more than 200 power line breaks around Cedar Lake in Lake county. Sheriff Harold S. Zeis of Allen county closed all highways running north from Fort Wayne.

Seven thousand telephones were dead in the Fort Wayne area and Sheriff Zeis set up emergency ra dio transmitters in Huntertown, Crabill and Monroeville. The Indiana Service corporation reported 50 poles were lying in a 10-mile stretch of Indlana-3 be tween Fort Wayne and Hunter town. Part of Fort Wayne was without electricity, stopping coal stokers and oil-burning furnaces. Luckey hospital at Wolf LaKe was re ported without power. Closed Roads Listed- Roads closed in the Fort Wayne area included U.

U. and Indiana-1, 3, 37 and 427. One northern city, Rochester, was without power for thre hours Thursday as ice broke down transmission and distribution facil ities of the Public Service Com' pany of Indiana. Sections of Wabash and Huntington, also served by the utility, temporarily were without power. South Bend, caught In a sleet storm which swept across north' era Indiana, reported sections without electricity.

Radio stations there were off the air temporarily because of the power failure. 'Tha Indiana Michigan Electric com pany, which furnishes power there. reported its offices were swamped wun cans ior repair erewa. Freezing, rain an3 elect fell throughout the upstate area ing roads hazardous. State PoSics headquarters in Indincpolia Bail rpads in the Dunes Park smi Ligonier post areas were ice-covered and "very dangerous." Roads in the -central and southern parts of the state wer reported to be rainflreactod, but otherwise normal.

Police headquarters mM it received reports that pswer ani communication lines te WeJ'a anl Adams counties wwa fcf the ice which pulSoS crry from transformers c- .3 fcia lines. The Weather bw'-T'a said 2 a rain and sleet wou-KJ be by strong winds, frcSt 3 and considerably '1 3 PHimdmnvitcm Photo sum total of the individuals who make It up. Wo will never have a better world or a better country or a better city apart from better men and women. 4 "Democracy demands far more of ita citizens in th way of intelligence and character than any other form of government. We must all be sufficiently intelligent to know what is essential to the welfare of our community and sufficiently loyal to place the welfare of the community above our own personal desires and ambitions." 2 Men Q.

In'NcbSesvs NOBLESVILLB, (AP) Nobles- ville had two claimants to the office of mayor Thursday night after a stormy session of the city coun cil during inauguration Ceremonies. Mayor E. R. Fertig, who Attor ney General Cleon Foust said was to continue in office because of the death of Mayor-elect Fred L. Baker, refused to vacate the office in favor of Joseph Burgess, who was chosen mayor pro tern by new councilmen.

Eugene Kmser, a new council man, offered a motion to declare the office vacant when Fertig's term expired at noon, but the city attorney held the motion out of order. The council then held a session, at which they named Burgess to hold office until Jan. 12, saving a permanent mayor would be choseg at that time. Burtress took the oath of office and issued a call for the Jan. 12 session.

Fertig said he would continue to hold office during the four-year term to which Baker was elected, according to the attorney general's ruling. Install Democratic City Official: Af Ccnr.crsvilb CONNERSVILLE. Democratic city officials were sworn into office at noon Thursday. G. Edwin Johnson, former Fayette county judjje, administered the oaths.

The following were installed: Glen R. Henderson, mayor; Lawrence Sexton," William L. Henry. Eugene Funk, Lucius Cramer, Russell Wolfe, Cleveland' Jones, and Joseph Zacharias, city councilmen; Glen Hahn, fire ciuef; Gene Nichols, city engineer; Lester McMichael, city elerk-treas-urer; and Albert Heeb, city attorney. AH appointments have not been nnouncva iy xi'ir.

rauriuerEon, isw.i Mrs. Dorothy Allison was named announced by Mr. Henderson, but deputy In the office of Mr. Me-Michael, with Mm Russell Wolfe, second deputy. Mrs.

Ethel Myers will be 8eputy clerk in the Water Worl-ss effiss of which Mrs. Ruth Hamilton "la chief clerk. N. G. Karris win be feead plumber, and Earl Teller xml rsmain as chief engineer at the Water Works plant, a post fee has ibid since 1S33.

Aosiatasit engineers win fee Pearl Barge aad Sohn Mains. Lester Eiidicel will be head electrician, ad Ralph SSiessrnlieF, meter reader. A city street commissioner is yet to be Eaaaed. Six P. Sad Wtl Hu--iS To Do (AW) to ljiz ,73 en a 3 v.

3ry conn-p co were waw i fl 4, -g 4 If 250 Injure Homeless; Temperature Drops BeloW Freezing Mark SHREVEPQRT, (AP) Twenty persons were dead, scores injured and hundreds homeless Thursday night, the toll exacted by tornadoes which skipped furiously over five Southern states as the old year expired. For the homeless, the night was a bitter one. A cold wave creeping down from the, north brought temperatures of 24 to 28 degrees, to add to misery wrought earlier by rain, snow, sleet and strong winds. A Red Cross recapitulation Thursday night listed 250 injured, 245. homes destroyed and 290 damaged in the five states, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.

Cotton Valley, worst hit of the towns and communities, counted 12 dead with rescue workers still probing amid the rubble for other possible victims. In addition, a Cotton Valley contractor, G. E. Speed, estimated property damage in that town of 1,500 at $1,000,000. The confirmed death toll In Louisiana was 15; two in Tennessee, two in Arkansas, and one in Mississippi.

None was reported killed in Alabama. Sets Fund Aside To assist survivors in rebuilding and to provide immediate relief, Red Cross President Basil O'Connor announced in Washington an initial fund of $100,000 had been set aside and that more money would be available as needed. Two new tornadoes struck at Kosciusko and Mantee, Thursday. Houses were demolished and 35-year-old Will Grimsley was killed in Mantee. Dwellings also were tumbled in Montgomery, Ala.

Representative Brooks La. urged President Truman to lend federal assistance to stricken communities in the northwestern Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas Cotton belt. Special trains brought boxcars t6 house' the homeless, estimated by Mayor Sam Coyle at 500 in Cotton Valley alone. Mayor Coyle said 200 were injured. Army Air forces flew in tents, cots and bed ding, and medical supplies.

Home Demolished Two children in a single family were killed near Memphis, when a twister demolished a farm home. Single fatalities from New Year's eve tornadoes were recorded in Leton, Dykesville and Haynesville, and Altheimer and Village, Ark. Quiet tales of heroism arose from the ruins of Cotton Valley, where fewer than 100 buildings remained standing. A nurse, Valars Yeates, toiled longer and harder than most rescue workers. Her husband, Clifton Yeate3, was one of the first known dead.

Freakish stories developed. Davis Cox tan Persian cat, Fuzzy, was missing 15 hours but finally was found inside the- stuffing and springs of a sofa. One man ran from his home and threw himself into a ditch when his roof seemed to be tottering. The wind plucked off the roof and dumped it on top of him in the ditch. He waa not injured seriously.

Over .1,400,000 -Visited Hocisier Parks In 1547 INDIANAPOLIS, (AP) More I than 1.400.000 persons, 200.000 i more than the 1848 total, visited! Hoosier state parks and memorials last year. K. R. Cougill, state parks direc tor, announced the figures Wednesday and said that "tae entire park i ci-ion program will be re- vamped to accommodate toe to creased number of persona visiting parks and memorial properties." director did not. however, eBce'aae what the changes in op-eratiana would constitute, -but said tiiat facilities for use of visitors generally had been improved coring tii last year.

Cougill added that replacement of present water supply systems at Brown County, Clifty Falls, McCormick'a Creek and the Dunes holds a high priority for 1948. Abandoned Child Is Found Dsad In Gccrgia Swamp EAINrrJDGE. (AP) Two children, abandoned ty parents, were found to a dseolats swamp near here, one of tStem dead and the other suffering 14 Known Dead In Missouri Crash (See "Train Wreck" Oa Page 2) OTTEIiVILLE, (AP)' The second section of a Missouri Pacific train plowed into the rear end of another passenger train in a driving snowstorm near here Thursday, killing at least 14 holiday travelers, one of whom was tentatively identified as the wife of the former ambassador to Spain, Alexander W. WeddelL The former ambassador also was reported aboard the train, but he had not been accounted for by officers. At Richmond, relatives said the Weddells were en route to Tucson, together with a maid, Violet Andrews.

The two sections of "The Mis-sourian" were running far behind schedule at about 8 o'clock this morning on their night run from St, Louis to Kansas when the locomotive of the second section crashed into the rear Pullman of the first train, killing all occupants of the The engine rammed itself through the sleeping car, crushing everything inside into a space of only 10 feet. Torches were employed to cut the wreckage apart and remove the bodies. 13 Bodies Removed Thirteen bodies were removed from the wreckage by rescuers, working In bitter, subfreezing weather, and another victim died in a hospital at near-by Sedalia, Lieutenant K. K. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway patrol said the wreekasre was cleared more bodies had been found." Johnson smid he was "fairly certain" of the identification of eight bodies.

They were: Frank M. Ryan, 40 years old, of 11450 Ayrshire road, Los Angeles; James M. Ryan, 20, student at Loyola University of Louisiana; Judith Ryan, 18; Frankie Ryan, Pullman Conductor E. K.Emmons, believed from." "St. Charles, Pullman PorterHarryj Chambers, Lovejoy, Roy Ryan, Evans- ville, MrfC Alexander Wgddell, Virginia House, Richmond, Va Johnson said the six renminbis bodies had not been identified, but personal effects had been found be' longing to the following: Ambassador Alexander Weddell; Viola Andrews, Richmond, the Weddella maid; Lira.

Adelaide Ryan, vife of Frank II. Ryan, Los Angeles; Harriet Thompson, no age, 229 Washington avenue, St. Louis, daughter of Dr. John P. Murphy, physician for Katy railroad; Miss Jane Raddatz, 442 Alexander, San Fernando, Corp.

Everett P. Gilpin, or Gerhart, en route from Green Haven, N. to Camp Cooke, Calif. Passengers in the other car on the train were not seriously injured. Only the rear wheels of the second Pullman of the front train were knocked off the track.

Colonel Hugh Waggoner of the State Highway patrol attributed the wreck to an apparent failure of block signals but PauL J. Neff, chief executive officer the Missouri Pacific, issued a statement saying the signals were in perfect order and that there was "probably flagrant negligence on the part of certain train employees." Traveling Slowly Trainmen said both sections of "The Miasourian" were traveling slowly in the snowstorm when the wreck occurred about 85 miles east of Kansas City. Five mail cars of tlze second train were derailed. The titter cold weather hamp ered removal of the bodies from the car. A fcylMozer was used pull the locomotive and the Pull man apart, aad Thursday night workers, still had not cleared the track for -travel.

Ambulances and doctors were delayed in reach ing the eesne by ice and mow on tae highways. Kelly Scruton, reporter for The Sedalia, Democrat, said engine of file second section tlie train tore Into the rear the first train, shoving bedrooms, drawfeg rooms and roomettes into a moas of steel and people as if tta car had been a metal press. were crushed into a space net more than 1 feet." The crash shot fee front train 175 feet down the ice-coated tracks before it could stop, Seemed To Jump "The train seemed to jump into the air," (said J. H. Golden, a porter on tae first section.

"Five people Were in my car, the second from the rear. All were shaken." Five mail cars from the second section were thrown from the track, some Bp lit wide open and mail scattered over tise enow-covered countryside. Ecryton said the Eeetion was teada up cf 10 mail cars and ens coach. An undetermined number of paa-sengera and train crew members the second section were injured but none believed seriously. A 1 Frank Ryan -n James Ryan Frank Ryan, jr.

DaSoy On Plan irs WASHINGTON, (AP) Congressional action on the Marshall plan may be delayed two months beyond the administration's Apr. dead line, Representative Eaton N. chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, predicted Thursday. "I would not set any date," Eaton told reporters. "But if we get it through by June 1 we will be fortunate." He made It clear he was not speaking of passing the plan in exactly the pattern cut by the administration, but as it finally evolves after careful hearings and any necessary revisions.

Eaton said he did not even intend to follow the practice of introducing the administration's Marshall plan bill to get it formally before his committee. "This is the most important leg-J lsiauon that has come Before the house, in my judgment, in my time," he said. "It cannot be treated in a perfunctory, routine manner." The bill President Truman submitted to the congress would authorise the- spending of in the four and a quarter years beginning Apr. 1 to help bring about economic recovery in western Europe. The program would be handled by a single administrator with broad powers.

Dynamite Blast Kills Navy Vet ELK PARK, N. (DCS) Explosion of dynamite that was to mark a New Year's celebration Thursday killed 22-year-old Reese Brooks, at near-by Plumtree, S. Brooks, who was a navy veteran, reportedly was 'Jie charge up a hill, not far from the Tar Heel Mica plant when the dynamite ex ploded prematurely. Brooks, native ef Plumtree, died instantly. Is 1 C- Tornado Rips Through Indiana Town; Sleet Hits Fort Wayrss Mrs.

Frank Ryan jv-x 4t Judy Ryan Local Firemen Are Sent On False Alarm Richmond firemen were sent on a false alarm run Thursday afternoon. Chief Leslie Williams said that the alarm apparently was turned in by a young girl, and that every effort is being made to trace it. Prosecution will follow, he said. The chief said the department has been bothered by similar alarms in recent weeks. He said equipment sent to four different places in attempting to locate a fire.

In other runs Thursday the department was called to 31 North Thirteenth street, where a flue was burning out. A run was made to 213 South street, where a coal shed was damaged by fire. Man Is Injured Seriously In Crash Near Brookville BROOKVILLE. Donald Fled-derman of Oak Forest, Thursday night remained unconscious at the Margaret Mary hospital in Bates-ville, the victim of a head-on auto collision. Three others were slightly hurt in the crash at midnight Wednesday.

They are Marvin Boyle of Brookville, Miss Dorothy Amrhein, riding with Boyle, and Paul Fled-derman of Oak Forest, cousin of Donald Fledderman and driver of the auto. Sheriff Charles Meyer who Investigated the accident said Paul Fledderman will be charged with reckless driving. He said Boyle was headed north on U. and Paul Fledderman was headed south. Lynn Legion Plans Building Drive LYNN.

The -local American Legion post will open a drive Saturday for raising funds to finance the building of a Legion home and community building. The goal set by the Legion is $8,000. Members of the Legion will be stationed at the police station to receive donations and pledges. On Monday, Jan. 5, Legion members wilT begin contacting persons in Greensfork and Washington township-.

Pledges and donations will be received at both the Lynn and Spartanburg banks and all funds received will be turned over to the Legion finance officer, H. W. Jordan. Members of the Building Fund committee are David Clark, Dr. E.

Martin, Elmer Teeters, Homer Farabee and Don Mutchner. Identify Man's Body INDIANAPOLIS. (AP) Police identified a body found in a pool of water on a West side parking lot Thursday as that of Joseph Schneider, 81 years old, of By The Associated Press A small tornado which ripped through the south edge of' Salem just before noon Thursday ushered in one of the winter's worst storms in Indiana. The twister, which struck without warning, tore off roofs, shattered windows, leveled several small buildings and littered streets with debris. No Injuries were reported.

Fort Wayne reported the worst sleet storm In its history, and an inch-thick coating of ice smashed telephone and. power lines. Thousands of broken utility poles blocked northeastern Indiana highways. Lights were out in a two-mile square area in Hammond, and the South Shore Electric railroad sus- pended service between Chicago 8-Room Farm Home Near Brbokville Destroyed By Fire BROOKVTLLE. Fire of unknown origin early New Year's morning gutted an eight-room, two-story frame farm house with all its contents, while the family was away.

The home is located Just east of Brookville with the city subdivision on either side. The rural Fire department answering the call, was unable get through the muddy road. The farm owned by Arthur Ferris of Brookville was tenanted by Mr. and Mrs. Delmont Bennett and two children.

The loss, which had not been estimated Thursday night, Is covered partially by in surance. Stark Home Entered; Report Nothing Taken CONNERSVILLE. City police have reported a break-in at the Elby Stark home, 920 Eastern avenue, some time early Thursday morning. A screen on the back porch was cut" but a locked door blocked entrance there. Nothing was missing.

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