Silver City Daily Press from Silver City, New Mexico • Page 1

SOUTHWEST MICRO FILM ALLEN RAY C. JOHNS 1302 YANDELL DRIVE EL PASO, TEXAS 79902 6-15-70 SILVER CITY DAILY Some Graves Yield No Bodies Associated Press-Full Leased Wire And Independent Gateway To The Gill Wilderness Vol. LXXV-10 Pages in 2 Sees. Silver City, New Mexico Tuesday, June 1, YUBA crry, Caiit. (API Sheriff Roy Whiteaker says he's convinced some of the orchard sites his men probed in the search for more mass slaying victims were once dug as graves, then filled in without bodies.

"I hope we're very close" to the last grave, Whiteaker said Monday after again ordering his men to search for more possible burial sites like those which have yielded 23 stabbed and hacked bodies. Whiteaker said that "a Allies In Retreat From Snuol Area ONE INJURED Silver City, was admitted to Hillcrest General Hospital Sunday after he was Injured when his car overturned about 2:30 p.m. miles west of Silver City on Highway 180. New Mexico State Police Officer Robert Hodges, who headed the investigation, said the car left the highway, skidded 245 feet along the side of the road and overturned twice. Hodges assisted by Lt.

John Lazowsky, Grant County Sheriff's Department and New Mexico Mounted Pa(Press Staff Photo) trolman Lorenzo Ramirez. couple" of the suspected graves which contained no bodies "appeared to have been dug as graoves." One was among three sites where searchers dug Monday and found nothing, the second day no more bodies were found. The other was among earlier diggings, he said. Whiteaker refused to comment on a theory that the murderer might have dug each grave before selecting a victim-- and that if none was found returned to fill in the hole to avoid arousing suspicion. Whiteaker said Roy Delong, 52, of Marysville had been taken into protective custody but declined to say why.

Deputies believe he is one of the last persons to see Sigurd E. Beierman, one of the victims, before his body was found in the 19th grave. Delong told Marysville police May 4 that the last time he saw Beierman was about two months earlier, getting into Corona's van. The first body was discovered accidentally May 20 by Ooro Kaghiro, a farmer who said he spotted an empty grave-size hole in his peach orchard. He returned eight hours later and found it fiJled in.

Believing someone had buried stolen property, Kaghiro called deities who found it was a grave. The sheriff said Monday he still believes there are more bodies, possibly under land flooded with irrigation water. "We've pretty well exhausted the search in the obvious places," he said, except for four or five suspicious sunken- in areas in a submerged comer of the J.L. Sullivan ranch were 21 corpses were found. "There's still a couple of acres under water and it will be a few weeks before the ter settles enough" to allow digging, he said.

Juan V. Corona, a 37-year-old farm labor contractor charged with 10 of the murders was described Monday as "very quiet, well mannered" prisoner at Yuba County jail in adjoining Marysville. SAIGON (API U.S. B52 bombers attacked North Viet namese troop concentrations 0(1 the edges of Snuol, and othe allied aircraft struck inside the Cambodian rubber plantation town to cover the retreat of thj badly battered South Vietnamese task force driven from the town, field reports said today. South Vietnamese soldiers on the scene reported that about 200 of their men were killed or wounded Monday as they fought their way out of the sieged town about 90 miles north of Saigon.

However, the South Vietnamese command reported only six of its soldiers were wounded during the pullout and also claimed that allied air strikes and South Vietnamese tanks killed an estimated 700 North Vietnamese. Eyewitnesses said the fleeing South Vietnamese left behind 80 tanks, armored personnel carriers, Jeeps and trucks and destroyed eight 105mm howitzers and four 155mm cannon that not carry. South fighter-bombers they could Vietnamese and U.S. helicopter gunships were sent in to destroy the abandoned vehicles and attack the enemy inside the town. Sources at Loc Ninh, on the South Vietnamese side of the border about 20 miles southeast of Snuol, reported seeing two trucks filled with bodies of Saigon troops killed as they fought their way toward the border.

An armada of U.S. bombers and helicopter gunships covered both sides of Highway 13, the retreat route south from Snuol. But enemy troops wore reported so close to the South Vietnamese on the highwaj that air attack was difficult. The South Vietnamese reportedly fled the town because the torth Vietnamese 5th Division had surrounded it and outnumbered the defenders about 4,000 to 2,000. B52 bombers dropped 150 tons of explosives Monday night on enemy troop concentrations miles northeast of Snuol to teep those North Vietnamese Audie Murphy Killed In Airplane Crash BOANOKE, Va.

(API The wreckage of a chartered airplane carrying World War hero Audie Murphy and five other men has been found on a rugged mountaintop near here. Pathologists worked today trying to positively identify the bodies removed from the wreckage Monday by rescue workers and. Koanoke Community Hospital. The rescue workers said three bodies might be identified by physical features, but the other three were burned so badly they were unrecognizable. "All indications point to the fact that it is Audie," said Lincoln Carle, the 46-year-old Murphy's business manager.

"We dont have positive identi. fication but everything else matches." As the nation's most decorated World War hero, Murphy received 24 medals from the American government, three from the French and one from the Belgians. He won the Medal of Honor after he mounted a burning American tank and, although wounded, held off with a caliber machine gun German troops which were advancing on him from three sides. Air Show Draws 200 The annual air show put on by the Grant County Pilot's Association for the benefit of the American Cancer Society drew some 300 spectators to the airport last Sunday. Many of them rook rides over the mining district and Silver Clly or as far as Lake Roberts.

Others watched the sky divers who jumped from so high in Uie sky they could hardly be seen until their colorful parachutes opened A para-kite was towed along the runway In front of the crowd. The day was a very profitable one for the cancer fund with a total of almost $500 donated to this year's crusade. Boy Scout Troop 107 under the leadership of Llnzee Packard, scout master, had a refreshment stand. Several members of DeMolay under the leadership of Duane Ullman assisted with some of the other youngsters in the area in collect- Ing admission and the fee for the airplane rides. Doc Griffin was In charge of flight sales tickets.

Tuck Grimes was chairman of the air show committee for the Pilot's Association. Other pilots were: Bill Turner, Lynn Tld- well; Bob Morris of Ft. Bragg, Dave Diaz; Kenny Sweetser of DemlngandGeorge Miller. Bernle Stern rode the para- kite and the SouthwestSky Divers provided the parachute spectacle, Besides the Medal of Honor he won the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf cluster, the Bronze Star and the Croix de Guerre. He also received the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf clusters.

Murphy who rose to lieutenant also was commended for having killed 240 German soldiers. Murphy had been flying to Martinsville 60 miles south of here on business. The plane went down Friday morning but the crash went undetected three days because of bad weather and because no flight plan had been filed. Numbers still visible on the tail of the twin-engine Aero Commander matched those on the aircraft in which Murphy and five others had boarded in Atlanta. The wreckage was spotted Monday on the north side of Brushy Mountain about 14 miles northwest of here, tt was reached later in the day by rescue workers, who had to hike four miles up the steep mountain terrain.

The five persons who boarded the plane with Murphy were Claude Crosby, president of Modular Management, a subsidiary of Modular Properties Inc. of Atlanta; Jack Littleton of Fort Collins, secretary-treasurer of Lenoir Raymond Prater, a tanooga, lawyer Chat- representing Modular Management; Kim Dody of Ft. Carson, a friend of Littleton; and the pilot, Herman Butler of Denver, Colo. Murphy turned to business several years ago after a 44- movie career that included "To Hell and Back," a film based on his autobiography, and "The Red Badge of Courage." He recently produced his first movie, "A Time for Dying," to be released later this month in which he played a cameo role and, said Carle, "gave one of his finest performances, as short as it was." Murphy's son Terry also had a brief part in the film Carle said plans were in the works for another picture in Mexico. The plane, a propjet, last was heard from Friday morning when Butler radioed the flight service station at Roanoke's Woodrum Airport to advise he planned to land there in 40 minutes.

Rain and low ceiling at the time made a landing approach through the mountainous region hazardous. Because the Murphy party had filed no flight plan, the Federal Aviation Administration said no reports had been received the plane was missing until Sunday afternoon. Bainy, overcast weather made a search impossible until the skies cleared Monday. MONROE PENNINGTON. Monroe Pennington, local Businessman, Dies Here Monday Monroe Pennington, 77, one of Silver City's businessmen who had resided here for 39 years, died suddenly at his home Monday morning.

Mr. Pennington, a native of Bond, had been a merchant all of Ms adult life, both in wholesale and retail businesses, having first operated a grocery story liere and later, clothing stores. For 17 years, he was the owner and operator of the Pennington Department Store, and for the past five years has been associated with his son, C. H. (Tony) Pennington in C.

Pennington Fashions. Survivors of the deceased include his widow, Mrs. Marye Pennington of Silver City; two sons, Clarence H. Pennington of Silver City and Edward E. Pennington of Newport Beach, a daughter, Mrs.

Lona Hamilton of Orange, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Roscoe Powell of Lancaster, a brother, Jack Pennington of Indiana; and several nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be conducted by the Rev. W. D.

Kitchens of the Glad Tidings of God Church at Wednesday in the chapel of the Curtis- Bright Funeral Home. Interment will follow in the Silver City Mausoleum. Pallbearers will be Dr. Don E. Maxwell, Joe R.

Hooker, Howard W. Willey, Ray Swigart, James M. Brooke and Ben Altamirino. Quiet Weekend Silver City Police Department officers were busy over the long weekend, according to Chief Thomas Ryan, but their timawas spent dealing with mostly minor Incidents. A total of 58 calls for assistance were received by the department, he said, but no major problems were involved.

Ryan said two minor automobile accidents were reported. BULLETIN WASHINGTON (AP) President Nixon will appear live on the four television and radio networks in a news conference at 8:30 p.m. EDT today. Lady Air Ace Eyes Aviation Records LONDON (API British air ace Sheila Scott Dew off today in a attempt to break a series of world records as a human guinea pig for the U.S, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The flight will take her around the world times.

She said her wardrobe ranges from a bikini for the tropics to The Piper Aztec, "Mythre," is a successor to her single-en- jine Pipe Comanche, "Myth Too," in which she flew around the world. From Nairobi she will turn around and fly to Tromsoe, Norway, for the takeoff across the North Pole. layers of clothing under an orange survival suit for polar flying. Miss Scott, 43, hopes to become the first pilot to fly from equator to equator over the North Pole in a light plane. Electrodes were strapped to different parts of her body when she took off in her blue and white twin-engine Piper Aztec from London Airport.

The propeller plane was loaded wtth black boxes to register and radio heartbeat, body temperature and other data direct to NASA continuously during the flight. Soon after takeoff for Benghazi and Nairobi the plane was linked to the American sat. ellite Nimbus so it could relay all of the pilot's physical reactions to a ground station in Fairbanks, Alaska, for transmission to NASA's computer center in Maryland. "Pm not sure I want everyone to know how scared I am," Miss Scott said before takeoff. "I'm very pleased that they have given this opportunity to a British woman.

Sheila has a lot at stake, including nearly all the financial load of the flight. She had joke-card pasted to her in. strument panel in front of her: "I must be successful. I owe Sheriff Commends Motorists Grant County Sheriff Steve Ray Aguirre commended Grant County motorists today for their care In driving over the Memorial Day holiday. Aguirre said several accidents were reported over the three-day holiday week-end, but for the most part they involved only property damage or "not too serious" injuries, Aguirre said his officers investigated or assisted In the investigation of five automobile accidents in the county.

"We're always afraid there'll be a serious accident over these longer holidays," Aguirre said, "and somebody will be killed. There's always so much more traffic and often drivers aro drinking more than they should. Thanks to some careful, sensible drivers, that didn't happen this Hmc." WEATHER Generally fair to partly cloudy and a little warmer weather has been forecast for the Silver City Grant County area through Wednesday. Gusty afternoon winds are expected. Expected low tonight is 52, high Wednesday should be about I High Monday in downtown Silver City was 76.

Mrs. Clara Ward Dies Early Today In California Mrs. Clara S. Ward, 72, a native of Mogollon who had lived most of her We In Silver City, died early this morning in a hospital at Redwood City, as a result of an Illness of short duration, suffered while visiting at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Maxine Rudlck, and her family at Redwood City.

Mrs. Ward was the daughter of pioneer Nev Mexicans, the late Mr. and Mrs. Sam Schiff, early day merchants of Mogollon, who, in Mrs. Ward's youth, moved to Silver City to carry on their businesses.

Mrs. Ward's husband, Edward Ward who preceded her in death in 1958, for many years was the owner and operator of the Sllco Theatres, and served the Town of Silver City as mayor lor several terms. Immediate survivors of Mrs. Ward include her three daughters, Mrs. Rudlck, Mrs.

Joanne Humbert of Elyrin, Mrs. Winnie Cain of Silver Clly; eight grandchildren; and one brother, Max Schiff of Silver City. Mrs. Ward's remains will be returned to Silver City where arrangements are pending with the Curtis-Bright Funeral Home. Dozen Adults Arrested In North Hurley Affray Registration Set For Youth Basketball Program Registration for the youth summer basketball clinic, scheduled for June 2 through June 5, has been set for Wednesday at 10 a.m, in the Fighting Colt gymnasium.

The purpose of the clinic is to drill youngsters in the fundamentals of basketball and give them a chance to practice them. They will seeinstructionalfilms as well as practice and play the sport. Registration for the high school basketball league is scheduled for 8 p.m. June 1 and 8 at the Stout Junior High outdoor courts while the deadline for the adult league is set for June 5. Further information on any of the phases of the basketball program can be obtained from Marv Sanders by calling 538-9329.

from joining in the pursuit of the Saigon forces. In one of the heaviest days of air activity reported in eastern Cambodia this year, the U.S. Command said helicopter gun- ships fluw about 375 missions and fighter-bombers flew about 45. Other sources said the bulk of the missions were in the Snuol region. A spokesman for the South Vietnamese command, Lt.

Col. Le Trung Hien, said the withdrawal from Snuol "is part of the whole plan of operation in Cambodia during the rainy season" now under way. Asked if the withdrawal was preplanned, Hien replied: 'Yes, that is correct." But last week, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Minh, commander of South Vietnamese forces in Cambodia, told The Associated Press he planned to keep all eight of his task forces in Cam- India through the rainy season.

Two battalions of South Vietnamese troops had reinforced the task furce at Snoul, but most of the other 9,000 troops in eastern Cambodia were too far away. The capture of Snoul was a significant victory for the North Vietnamese. In addition to the psychological effect, it opened a new supply route for the North Vietnamese into the South Vietnamese provinces north of Saigon. Elsewhere in Cambodia, terrorists in Plmom Penh attacked two billets for American scrv- with plastic bombs. One blast, at the villa used by the American military equipment delivery team, injured two enlisted men slightly, blew in a ground floor wall and wrecked several cars.

Another explosion at a house occupied by five Marine guards at the U.S. Embassy blew in some of the windows but hurt no one. Three officers were injureo In the process of breaking up a large fight early Sunday morning in the parking lot of a North Hurley bar. None of the officers was seriously injured. A dozen adults were arrested in the affray, and another 12 were picked up to the custody of their parents, according to Grant County Sheriff Steve Ray Aguirre.

Officers said a crowd of about 200 was on the premises when the disturbance started about 1:15 a.m. When officers attempted to break up the fight, witnesses said, the combatants turned on them and inflicted various minor injuries. According to witnesses, about half the crowd joined in the battle. Officers of the sheriff's department, New Mexico State Police, Hurley Police Department, Bayard Police Department and the New Mexico Mounted Patrol assisted indispursing the crowd, however, officers finally resorted to tear gas to control the mob. Officers said some of the combatants then went to the Grant County Jail where those arrested at the scene of the fight were being booked and began a new disturbance.

The croVd, num- bering about 50 to 60, according to officers on the scene, was broken up after one person was arrested. Silver City police assisted in the second incident. Charges following the affray in North Hurley ranged from failure to assist a police officer to disorderly conduct to resisting arrest, officials said. Officers believed the affray started with a minor disagreement. Sheriff Aguirre pointed out a number of minors and Juveniles who had been drinking were involved In the incident and asked that parents cooperate with law enforcement agencies by know- Ing more about where their children are late at night and what they are doing.

"Most parents will tell you their children never drink," he said. "This is pretty good evidence those parents are wrong. We didn't charge these youngsters this time," he said, "3ut we did ask their parents lo pick them up at the Jail so they'd know what was going on." Aguirre noted new laws in New Mexico do not require that a minor be drunk or that he have an open bottle with him for law enforcement officials to take action. TO THE HONORED DEAD More than 1,600 flags placed In tribute to the 'Honored Dead" at I'ort Bayard Cemetery over Memorial Day, The Monday morning program, MC'd by Thomas P. Foy, featured an address by Stiver City Manager, William Harrison, music by the Grant County Sing Out, and the Snull Junior High Hand and a bugle presentation of Taps with an echo by Harry Gundcrson and Frank Sepulvoda..