Mt. Vernon Register-News from Mt Vernon, Illinois • Page 1

THE HOME PAPER OF JEFFERSON, WAYNE HAMILTON COUNTIES MT. VERNON REGISTER-NEWS MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS VOLUME 259 A SQUARE DEAL FOR ALL SPECIAL FAVORS FOR NONE MOUNT VERNON, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, JULY 26. V9d9 A NON-PARTISAN PAPER WEATHER r.Y'vri. A few IOCRI thimdrnhnnvni, MT. VUtlNOft Mttwdiiy -mmi ni, law Alrpnrt Mb Hi 25c PER WEEK BY CARRIER CRACK DOWN ON NUMBERS RACKETEERS CUT FOREIGN ARMS PLAN IN HALF: GOP Three Republican Senators Favor Sending Surplus Military Supplies, Slash U.

S. Cash Outlay. VANDENBERG AND DULLES IGNORED State Dept. Arms Program is Causing Severe Test of Bi-Partisan Foreign Policy. By Astocint.d Press WASHINGTON, July 2G.

President Truman's Arrns-for-Europe program was described officially today as designed to bring up to combat strength a total of about i.500,000 fighting men in five lounties. The strategic purpose behind this objective is to prepare the countries of western Europe to defend themselves against any at- DIRKSEN PLEA: GET U. S. BACK ON THE BEAM Candidate for Senator is Republican Speaker at Salem. until American thrown into the tack by Russia forces could be struggle The five key countries in the western Europe rearmament plan are Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Together they form the Western European Union and have already planned the coordination of their own military power independently of any U. S. assistance. In addition to these five the arms program is supposed also to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the relatively small forces of Norway, Denmark and Italy. Republicans Demand Slash By Associated Press WASHINGTON, July backers of military aid for western Europe moved today to cut by more than half President Truman's $1,450,000,000 foreign arms program.

Greeted with a storm of crili- cism, the President's proposal seemed to have headed the bipartisan foreign policy toward one of its severest tests in Congress. Senators Vandcnberg (R-Mich) and Dulles (R-NY) who have taken active parts in trying to keep that policy alive, were obviously- irked that the State Department had ignored them advice to submit only a token arms program to a Congress already fretting about foreign spending. They felt themselves open to attack from GOP colleages on the ground that the administration sfteMed to be making cooperation alteOBpfrway street. Nevertheless, the two were reported working with Rep. Vorys (R-Ohio) on an alternative plan.

Under it Congress might be asked to approve a S77.000.000 outlay to forward $150,000,000 in surplus military equipment to North Atlantic Pact signers and make about $200,000,000 more available to buy new equipment for them at home and abroad. Aid for Turkey, Greece This would be in addition to about $325,000,000 to continue arms for Greece and Turkey, the amount the President asked. Thus the total cash outlay under the alternative plan would be less than half of the tola! sought by Mr. Truman. He also asked the $77,000,000 for repairing, packaging and shipping surplus supplies along with about $1,000,000,000 for new equipment for eight Atlantic Pact signers.

Barkley Visits St. Louis Widow By Associated Press WASHINGTON, July President Barkley said today he had "a swell time" when he stopped over on a plane flight Sunday for luncheon in St. Louis as the guest of an attracthe 'idow. Sevpral other persons at 'ended the luncheon. "1 don 't know why are wondering about it," Barkley said, adding with a wide smile: "I violated no law of logirla- tion, society or propriety and I had a swell time." The St.

Louis Globe-Democrat reported that guests said the affair for the vice president "was supposed to be sort of secret." He came to see Mrs. Carleton S. Hadley, a St. Louis widow whose husband, a railroad a Forney, died in 1045. Friends said Mrs.

Hadley, an attractive brunette, met the vice president in Washington recently. Barkley was on his way back to Washington from Minnc-molis. 7-Ie ir- 71, a wir The' 1 v.vn about 15 persons at the affair. By Associated SALEM, 111., July Congressman Everett M. Dirksen today called upon Republicans to get the United States "back on the beam." He declared that "it is all too evident that what is proposed for our country by the present administration Is the planned failure of Great Britain." The Pekin Republican, who is planning to run for U.

S. Senator next year, was the chief speaker for Republican Day at the 66th annual Marion County Soldiers and Sailors Reunion. Republicans also on the platform were Cong. Charles W. Vursell of Salem; Louis E.

Nelson, Cook county treasurer, State Senator Paul Broyles of Mt. Vernon, and State Rep. R. J. Branson of Centralia.

In his prepared speech, Dirksen asserted: "This is a time for Republicans to reaffirm the moral tradition of the party and get this nation back on the beam. "That means reasserting our faith in the individual before he becomes completely lost in the planned philosophy which is now upon us. The individual is the very key to liberty. Cleanse Government "If we mean to save liberty, let's cleanse government of every person with diluted loyalties who would destroy what we have. Let's keep the country solvent and pay as we go." Dirksen said President Truman "finds strange delight" in cricitiz- ing the Republican same Congress which reduced taxes, set in motion the unification of our armed forces, exposed many subversive elements, liftedb urden- some controls If the United States "goes to pot," he declared, "the whole world will go to pot with it and there will be no Marshal plans or recovery programs to bail it out." The one hope of "curbing big centralized government," he said, is to "expand the enjoyment of living for our people on the social front in proportion as we can afford it and keep the operation of such programs at the local level." But, he went on, "instead of resolute action in the field of economy, it is now proposed to sepnd even more on a variety of programs, on the ground that social progress must go forward even if it means bigger and' better dif icits." "This is precisely the theory that was pursued in Great Britain during the last four years and today she is stone broke.

Socialism Danger "Today we've reached the point where we must determine whether we pay as we go or pay as we can. The former leads to confidence and solvency; the latter leads straight to managed government and Socialism." Dirksen said Republicans lost the 1948 election because of a "lack of vital faith in the Republican tradition and a failure to carry that tradition to the people." He added: "Will it now be contended that we must forsake this tradition and seek to outlure and outpromise the fair deal for the sake of victory? "The fair deal did not build this country to its present greatness. It may weaken and destroy it with the slow strain of Socialism." U. S. Senator Paul Douglas is scheduled to speak on the Democratic Day program tomorrow.

Gov. Adlai E. Stevenson plans to attend the reunion Thursday. Nickell Raps Governor Other speakers today included Earle Benjamin Searcy, State Supreme Court clerk, and Vernon L. Nickell, state school superintendent.

Nickell said in his prepared talk that the Democratic Illinois governor "has repudiated many of his campaign pledges." "The governor promised adequate money for cities and for new road. 1 without additional taxes," the Republican school official said. "He even promised to cut up the sales tax." Searcy called the Atlantic Pact a "dangerous step toward a new armament race which will eventually embroil us in another world war." "If the treaty means what it says the United States has assumed the short end of the most hazardous gamble in human history," Searcy said. MOVE FROM NORRIS CITY By Associated Press SEYMOUR, July 26. The Texas Eastern Transmission Company has moved its division offices here from Norris City, 111., D.

S. Patton, division manager, said the office will have charge of 530 miles of the big inch and natural gas pipelines through Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio SHERIFF TAKES THE AXE TO 11 "SLOT MACHINES" Crowd Looks On as "One-Armed Bandits" Confiscated by County Officers Are Destroyed on Court House Lawn. Money from Machines Will Go to Orphanage. Sheriff J. Chris Johnson wields a mean axe.

The sheriff, aided by his deputies, took the axe to 11 slot machines this morning before a curious crowd of about 100 persons who gathered on the courthouse lawn to watch the wrecking of the gambling equipment. The "one-armed bandits-," ranging from nickel to half-dollar machines, were confiscated by county officers over a period of several months. Sheriff Johnson took the first crack at the machines. Glass, springs and whatever else goes into the making of a "slot" went flying through the air as the sheriff went down the line with axe swinging. Then Deputies Russell Dalby and W.

A. Randolph got in their licks with the axe. Volunteer watchers helped pick up the nickels, dimes and quarters which fell from the wrecked machines. In a matter of minutes the 11 slot machines were a pile of wreckage. Money To Orphanage The sheriff reported that a total of $40.25 was taken from the machines.

He sold the wrecked machines on the spot, to an unidentified onlooker, for $12.50. The $52.75 will be presented by the sheriff to the Mt. Vernon Orphanage. "They can use the money to buy candy for the kids during the Christmas season," Sheriff Johnson said. The sheriff explained that the slot machines had been kept in the vault in hi.s office for various periods of time.

"We have confiscated the machines at various places in the county," he said. "I have never returned a slot machine, that 1 have taken from a place and as long as I'm sheriff such machines picked up by us will eventually be destroyed." The sheriff said that the time was reached today when the slot machines were taking up too much space in the vault. "I figured it was time to get rid of them," he said. And so he did. ADLAI VETOES POLICE COURT MARRIAGE BILL Says Bill Might Cast Doubt on Validity of Marriages.

Two Deaths in Farm Dispute By Associated Press JONESBURG. July dispute over a farm deal led to a double tragedy yesterday. Coroner Clement Linnert of Montgomery county said Frank Uelk, 68. killed Garrett Lewis, 56, with a shotgun and then took his own life with a rifle. A verdict of homicide and suicide was returned at an inquest.

The shooting occurred in a barn on Uelk's farm two and a half miles northwes tof here. Lewis sold the farm to Uelk about a year ago and was buying it back, Linnert said. The coroner said Uelk left a note saying he believed his mind was slipping and that Lewis was "gypping" him in the transaction. Lewis was a St. Louis county livestock dealer.

24 Killed but Many Saved from Blast By Associated Press TARANCON, Spain, July Twenty-four men, women and children were killed and more than 50 were gravely injured early today in an explosion at an army munitions dump here. The mayor of Tarancon said casualties would have been much higher, but many inhabitants of the area near the dump were in the center of town at the time, attending a religious celebration. By Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, 111., July Governor Stevenson has voted a bill aimed at removing any legal cloud over marriages performed by police magistrates. If the bill were enacted, he said, it might cast doubt on validity of some marriages performed by the magistrates. In his veto message yesterday, Stevenson added that the bill "assumes without justification" that prior marriages by police magistrates are invalid under the present law.

The bill was submitted in the legislature by Reps. Paul Ferguson (D-Decatur) and Samuel Shapiro (D-Kankakee). They contended there was a legal doubt about such marriages, even though magistrates have been performing them 50 years. Their bill specifically gave magistrates the nuptial power and validated all marriages performed in the past. "I do not believe we should put on the statute books an enactment which may serve as a basis for holding that marriages already- performed are invalid," Stevenson said.

Stevenson signed into several other hills, Including one requiring applicants for downstale firemen and policemen jobs to be under 35 years old. Among other approved bills are those which: Provide that municipal budgets must be available for public inspection at least 30 days instead of one week prior to final action on them. Increase employe contributions to the pension system for the University of Illinois and other state educational agencies from to 5 percent of their salaries after Sept. 1, 1949. Fixes $2,000 as the minimum death benefit.

Permits territory with 100 residents to incorporate as a village. Aid Needy Veterans Authorizes counties under 150,000 population having a Veterans Assistance Commission to levy a property tax for aiding needy veterans and their families Apprppriates $375,000 for purchasing land for the Horseshoe Lake wildlife refuge in Alexander county, the Union county wildlife refuge and the proposed Mermel refuge in Massac county. Stevenson vetoed a bill permitting garbage to be dumped within a mile of the municipality where it originated. SLOT MACHINES PAY OFF FOR ORPHANS Sheriff J. Chris Johnson poses at right holding: an axe which he used to chop up 11 confiscated machine.

Money found in the machines, S40.25, was donated to the orpL.mge Pa JUnkCd De Griffs Russell Dalby center, and A. Randolph, left, helped to break up the one-armed bandits. (Lcitzell Photo TYPHOON HITS SHANGHAI TOLL 29 KNOWN DEAD 1 Report 200,000 Left Homeless by Worst Storm Since 1915. Report Russia Explodes A-Bomb By Associated Press PARIS, July A Paris weekly newspaper claims in its current edition that Russia has exploded an atom bomb. The story appeared in Samedi Soir, a weekly noted for sensationalism.

According to the newspaper, United States recording devices showed an atomic explosion in Siberia July 10. This, said Samedi Soir. is the reason President Truman called a top-secret conference of military scientific and congressional leaders. HEAR THOSE SHOTS? THEY WERE JUST PART OF SAFETY TESTS Two shots rang out on south Tenth street this morning, followed by a screech of brakes. On the street were two large yellow blots.

Before the echoes of the shots died, three with tape pads and the road, measured, took notes. This scene was enacted by Illinois Bell Telephone Company "safety detectives" who were carrying out their job of preventing highway fatalities. They were conducting the state area department's "defensive driving" program. Some 18 Illinois Bell drivers from the Mt. Vernon office learned through the program to be more alert, to size up dangerous situations and to look ahead so they can keep out of driving trouble, and they were taught about the physical limitations of themselves and their equipment, and how best to cope with them.

"Shots" Explained The drivers taking the tests to- genious gadget called the brake day became acquainted with an in- detonator, which caused those shots to ring out on the morning air. The gadget measures the distance in which it takes a driver to brake his vehicle. This tiny device, hanging from a bumper, points an exacting finger at the shortcomings of man and machine. The detonator's two miniature gun barrels are loaded with two .22 blank cartridges and capsules of yellow powder. A string runs from the detonator to the truck cab where it is held by the instructor.

Here's how the gadget works: At a certain point as the truck rolls along the string is jerked, setting off the first shell and forcing a yellow capsule onto the pavement. The sound of the shot is the signal to hit the brakes. When the brakes are applied the jerk of the truck automatically sets off the second shot, making an- (Contliu.d on page two) By Associated Press SHANGHAI, July worst storm in years killed 2il persons, injured 23 and left upwards of 200,000 homeless rescuers sloshing through flooded streets learned today. Fourteen died when a house collapsed, 10 lost, their lives in a series of fires and five others were electrocuted by power lines blown down in the 25 hour storm. Property damage appeared heavy.

But the worst may have occurred in neighboring farm areas. Badly needed truck crops were either totally destroyed or badly damaged. The lower Yangtze rice crop, due to be harvested in 40 days, was destroyed partially. The typhoon ended last midnight. Earlier it.

had seriously damaged military installations on Okinawa island, Weather observers said it was Shanghai's worst storm since July 28, 1915. Two hundred Were killed in that one and 26 ships were wrecked on the Whangpoo and the Yangtze. More than half of the small huts in the lower residential district of this city of 6,000,000, were destroyed last night. $20,000,000 U. S.

DunuiRe (The typhoon left two deurt on Okinawa, 16 Americans injured and damage to U. S. installations unofficially estimated at Air Force installations were heavily damaged by winds up to 150 miles an hour but headquarters in Tokyo reported minimum plane losses. Okinawa has a B29 base.) Willam P. Wells Dies at Age 89 William P.

Wells, a retired farm, er, died at 3:30 a. m. today at his home on RED 2. Waltonville, in McClellan township He had observed his 89th birthday 11 days ago. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.

m. Thursday at Myers Chapel, with the Hev. l.awrn Stewart officiating, and burial will be in Wolf Prairie cemetery. The body will remain at Myers Chapel, where friends may CM 11 at any time after 5:00 p. m.

Wednesday. Mr. Wells was born July 15, 1860 in Jefferson county, the son of Henry and Jane (Osborn) Wells. He was married to Hal tie E. Place, who preceded him in death July 15, 1917.

Mr. Wells was a member of the Church of Christ. He is survived bv one son, Paul Wells of Waltonville. He was preceded in death by five sisters and one brother. Club Furnishes 2 Oxygen Tents Two oxygen tents, furnished by the Kiwanis Club, are now available for public use without charge.

The equipment is kept at the Fire Department is loaned out on request of physicians. Only cost is for the oxygen used. The club has owned one oxygen tent several and recently purchased a new one of modern design. They can he borrowed for any Jefferson county patient. SHARP WORDS IN SENATE ON FOREIGN AID Lucas Stirs Up Scrap By Trying to Cut "Watchdog" Fund.

By Associated Press WASHINGTON, July 26. A short-tempered, irritable Senate waded deeper into a bitter dispute over the $5,723,000,000 foreign aid program. The strain of the long session was beginning to show in the debate which centered on money for the second year of the European Recovery Program. Senators snapped at each other angrily late yesterday over an issue that had thought would cause a ripple. The major issues were vet to come.

The Senate voted $344,000 to keep a congressional "watchdog" committee checking on recovery spending. But not before majority leader Lucas of Illinois stirred up a wordy scrap by failing- to have the funds cut to $200,000. Ellender Sees Failure On top of this Senator Ellender had his colleagues buzzing over his report that the Marshall Plan is threatened with failure because of a reported feeling that American policy in Europe is dom. inated by Great Britain. Ellender is just back from a trip to Italy, where he attended a world health congress.

He told friends his trip convinced him Europe can't recover unless (1 1 Germany is pulled back to recovery; (2) Europe produces goods at prices the people can afford to pay; (3i and currencies are made convertible from one European country to another. Simmons Co. Gets Chicago Contract By Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, 111., July 26 Ten contracts totaling $3,497,976 for construction of a new state tuberculosis sanitarium in Chicago were awarded today. The building will cover one-half a square block on Taylor street between Damcn and Woldcott avenues as part of the west side medical center development. When completed in two years, it will provide 484 beds for phthisis patients.

Governor Stevenson recently approved a legislative reappropria- tion providing the funds. The new building will be an H- shaped structure of brick and reinforced concrete with stone trim, having an eight story section fronting on Taylor street. Construction and other contracts, awarded by the State Division of Architecture and Engineering include: General work, J. L. Simmons Indianapolis, $2,982,644.

The J. L. Simmons Company is general contractor on two $2,000,000 hospitals in Mt. Vernon and also is building the new Field and Franklin grade schools. Five-Day Forecast Extended five day forecast for Illinois: Temperatures will average 5-8 degrees above normal.

Normal maximum 89 north 92 south Normal minimum 64 north 67 south. warm and humid throughout period with only miiw fluctuations except a little cooler northern sections about Saturday. Rainfall will average 3 i- -i inch occuring as widely scattered local thundershowers Wednesday and again Friday and Satmdaj. NINTH DEATH FROM POLIO IN STATEOCCURS Beckemeyer Child Dies in Cen- tralio; Marion Co. Has 44 Cases.

By Associated Press CENTRALIA, 111., July 26 Polio has taken at least nine lives in Illinois in the past eleven days. The nint ictim iri the third at Centralia died last night in a state emergency polio center here. She was Joyce Taylor 8. of Beckemeyer in neighboring Clinton county. More help arrived at Centralia to cope with an epidemic.

Seven iron lungs came from the Army in St. Louis and from other southern Illinois communities, making eight now at the state center. The American Red Cross flew in two nurses and promised more. With all but four children's beds in the center filled, more beds were expected today from the Sister Kenny Foundation in Chicago. A Centralia representative of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis said $6,000 was expected today from its New York headquarters "as a He said expenses would average more than $2000 a patient.

He added that more money would be needed here this time than the $40,000 spent in the previous peak polio year of 1946. In the previous peak year no case appeared in the immediate Centralia area until July 31. Polio cases in the immediate Centralia area and Marion county went to 41 yesterday. Six more have developed in adjacent Clinton county. 44 Marion Co.

Cases Three more Marion county cases were confirmed today at the state center, bringing the total for the area to 44 this month. Of the Centralia cases 62 per cent are under school age. Another 18 per cent are from seven to twelve years old. Other than one 16 and another 19, the rest are over 20. Swimming Pool Closed A survey of city parks, Sunday schools, movie houses and downtown Centralia showed that Centralia children are apparently keeping close to home in line with precautionary appeals.

The city pool is closed. An ice cream dispenser reported his business had fallen by 50 per cent. '119 Cases Tn State. By Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, 111., July Thirty new cases of polio were reported today to the State Health Department. The total this year to date is 249.

Of the new outbreaks today, nine were reported in Cook county, four each in Sangamon and Jefferson counties, three in Madison county, two each in Champaign, Kane and Morgan counties, and one each in Cass, Dupage, Marion and Ogle counties. LINDBERGH GO-BETWEEN ARRESTED One of 17 Suspects Seised in $50,000,000 Numbers Ring Figured in Kidnaping Cose. LOTTERY ARRESTS IN THREE STATES Disclose Racketeers Cheated on Payoff by Altering Reports on Bank Clearing Figures. Volunteers Spray Olney 3y Associated Press Olney, 111., July This southern Illinois community was sprayed with D. D.

T. today with volunteers doing the work and paying the bill. The project is an attempted anti-polio measure. Citizens have contributed $1,350 for the job. An airplane pilot, Charles Richardson of Lawrenceville, donated his time for an aerial dusting.

Volunteers are doing the ground spraying. Contributors money to drug store collection centers and to radio station WVLN. The station has a music program on which the names of those calling in pledges are broadcast. While Richland county has only two polio cases, the outbreak of the disease is more serious in nearby counties By Associated Pretf NEW YORK, July ot six men booked here today in. a three-state roundup of an alleged 1 numbers racket ring was identified by police as once prominent in the Lindbergh kidnaping case.

Irving Bitz, 46-year-old circulation inspector for the New York Journal American, was described in the police line-up by acting captain Harry Hanley as "the celebrated Bitz who was mixed up. in the, Lindbergh kidnaping." Col. and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh named Bitz and Salvatore Spitale as "go betweens" in negotiating the return of their naped baby on March 5, 1932.

The two withdrew from the Lindbergh baby hunt the following April 28. The six, booked after all-night questioning by Frank S. Hogan and aidffc. denied in the lineup that in the rackfpr The arrest of the six brought 17 the total number arrested. Nine persons were arrested yesterday in New Jersey and Cincinnati, and two were seized here previously.

3 Newspaper Employes Today's batch of cluing two newspaper circulation charged with conspiracy and contriving a lottery. The cheating was done by ma- nipulating the reports on the daily totals of the Cincinnati, Ohio, Clearing House Association. Dennison Duble, Secretary of the Association, was reported to have admitted he had juggled, the figures for a year and half so that the player's normal 1000-in-l chance of winning would be reduced enormously. The Cincinnati Bank clearing figures were a factor in determining the winning numbers on which suckers in many states bet their pennies, dimes and dollars. One of the prisoners, Anthony Strollo, alias Tony Bender, was described by New York County District Attorney Frank S.

HOgan as "one of the top underworld figures in the east," Seven persons were arrested in Newark, N. after New York and New Jersey oficers raided the alleged headquarters of the racket in a fashionable Held On $100,000 Ball Three of the Newark prisoners were held in bail of $100,000 each. One of them is the occuDant of the raided house, Daniel Zwillam.r'a cousin of Abner Zwill- man, a prominent prohibition era figure in the Newark area. A numbers player selects a sequence 'of any three as 237 or 999 and DUt his bet on that for the day. With the odds 1000-to-l, the payoff was only 640-to-l.

The raided ring's winning number was made UD this way. in or- dor: The second and third digits from the noon wall street bond figures and the second digit of the Cicinnati Clearing House daily total. A member of the ring obtained the first two figures from the Newark branch of the financial firm of Kean. Taylor and Company, Hogan said, but there was no suggestion that the company was in- volved in the racket. After obtaining the first two digits of the number on which the ring would have to pay off, its mathematicians figured out what third digit would cost the ring least in payoffs.

The confederate in Cincinnati then provided the lected third'digit in the right olaca in the Clearing House total. Thus many players were gypped by a rigged number, and they never knew it, Hoean said. Figures In Two Papers The District Attorney here said the comnlete business figures.from which the numbers were taken, were printed in the New York Mirror and New York Journal American. Hogan said the papers offered to discontinue printing the figures, but he asked them to keep on until the ties completed their 18-month vest iga Hon. The men arrested here were identified by Hogan as: A Edward Kane.

41, of operator of a recreation anH pool room In Manhattan, if Irvin" Rltz. 46. of dgfe (Contintitrf on ll!.