The Birmingham News from Birmingham, Alabama • 18

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11,1 959 PACE 18 ke IBxrmmgham Netuer Cobern jailed, vague in Dallas slaying case CHICAGO, Dec. 11 WPi A 000 bond was fixed today for Ala- bama fugitive James Willard Cobern, 35. seized ori a fugitive warrant by FBI agents in Chicago yesterday. U. S.

Commissioner C. S. Bentley Pike post poned a hearing until 2 p.m. Tuesday, to permit Cobern to employ counsel and Alabama) authorities to start extradition proceedings. Cobern, a Clanton.

laborer, is accused of having clubbed and fatally shot Mrs. Mamie Belie Walker, 45, Saturday night in her bedroom behind a cafe she oper-i ated north of Selma, Ala. Mrs. Walker's automobile was found by FBI agents outside the Chicago apartment where Cobern, was arrested. COBERN WAS QUOTED as saying he remembered stuffing some blood-stained clothing in a jtree trunk in a wooded area near (Maplesville Sunday morning.

The slaying occurred Saturday night. FBI agents said Cobern told them he drove through Maplesville, Centreville and Tuscaloosa. and then spent two days in Missouri. But he said he was DIGNITARIES TAKE PART IN OPENING OF NEW INTERSTATE SECTION In foreground ore U. S.

Rep. Armistead Selden, U. S. Rep. George Grant, Flovd Mann, U.

S. Rep. Bob Jones, Gov. John Patterson, Sam Engelhardt, U. S.

Rep. Carl Elliott, U. S. Rep. George Huddleston As Dockery awaited death These three death cell close-ups were made by News Staff Photographer Robert Adams early this year while Edwin Ray Dockery still clung to hope that his sentence would be commuted.

Pays for murder Dockery accepts Catholic faith, meets death grinning BY HUGH W. SPARROW News staff writer man was about to speak the win- MONTGOMERY, Dec. 11 Jows could be opened. Dr. Irl Long and Dr.

W. A. Gun- Death came swiftly and partition. When the condemned THE REV. JUNKINS and Father Wiggins had attended Dockery during Wednesdays clemency hearing.

Prison officials fulfilled to the limit Dockerys last meal request. He had asked for a surprisingly large meal for a man about to die a dozen oysters, a dozen shrimp, two veal cutlets, a salad, six buttered rolls, half a banana pie, ice cream and an expensive cigar. Prison authorities wondered If he wasnt jesting in asking torso much. But they later reported that he ate most of the food about 6 p.m. ter, Montgomery physicians, pronounced him dead.

Soon after the current was halted the head framework and the black cap were removed. The dead mans eyes which he had given to retore sight to some blind person were closed. But the same rigid smile was still fixed on his face. DOCKERYS BODY was removed by a side door to a hearse waiting in the shadows of the prison yard. It had been claimed by relatives and was to be taken to Fayette for burial.

Dockery was the 147th to walk the "last mile into the little room at the far end' of Death Row from which, for the condemned, there is no exit. The prison physician, the Rev. R. S. Watson, who joined other clergymen in efforts to console the doomed man, said Dockery was calm throughout the hours leading to midnight.

calmly to Edwin Ray Dockery, convicted slayer of a Korean war veteran, early today in Kilby Prisons gaudy electric chair. With a smile on his face which death did not erase Dockery had only this to say: I am not guilty of first degree murder, although the courts have so held. HE TURNED around, took his seat in the chair. In just six minutes from the time trained hands had strapped the condemned man in the yellow painted chair and sent a burst of electricity into his body, he was pronounced dead. Dockery, who had been closely attended by a Catholic priest and a Baptist preacher in the long wait preceding the death march, accepted the Catholic faith at 10 p.m.

The smile on his face seemed to become rigid before the black cap was adjusted, as the Rev. William P. Wiggins of Decatur read a litany to which the man about to die seemed to nod his head but did not an- ROAD BUILDERS, STATE OFFICIALS AT HIGHWAY CELEBRATION J. P. Moss, E.

N. Rodgers, Charles M. Meriwether, Gov. John Patterson, Sam Engelhardt State's road program rolls rioht along BY ALLISON STANTON News staff writer Alabama faces a year of tremendous progress in roadbuilding. More than twice the money spent in any previous year will go for roads.

This dramatic transformation of state travel facilities is due largely to the new interstate highway program, now well under way in Alabama, said Gov. John Patterson. THE GOVERNOR yesterday afternoon formally opened the first interstate section in the state an eight-mile stretch north of Birmingham crossing the Jeffer-son-Blount County line near Warrior. He dedicated the $6,100,000 portion of highway to the people of Alabama who built it with their tax money. More than-' 300 state officials, road industry representatives and guests attended the ribboncutting ceremony near Warrior.

Today marks the formal beginning of the interstate system in Alabama, Gov. Patterson declared. In the months ahead, you will see many more of these sections opened up. THIS PROGRAM will change the economy of our state new businesses will spring up, tourists will come here, new industry will be encouraged. These roads will provide safer, more pleasurable driving.

The ceremony climaxed a two-day observance of "Alabamas Roads to the Future, sponsored by the Alabama Road JAMES W. COBERN Memory vague drunk and didnt remember where he stuffed the clothing. Cobern, who is charged with clubbing and shooting to death Mrs. Mamie Belle Walker, 45, in her bedroom at the rear of a cafe she operated near Selma, was arrested 40 minutes after he drove into Chicago. He was picked up on a federal warrant charging unlawful flight avoid prosecution.

CIRCUIT SOLICITOR Blanchard McLeod said at Selma that the murder and robbery charges were filed after witnesses placed Co- JUST 25, AND IN the prime of life, Dockery was a near giant with heavy features. He received the fateful word at 11 a.m. yesterday that Gov. Patterson had denied his plea for a commutation of sentence to life imprisonment. Deputy Warden I.

H. Phillips said Dockery received the news with very little show of emotion. He seemed to be relieved that at last a decision had been reached. After prolonged fight Colbert to decide prohibition issue Stop, read and live Past 24 hours Pedestrian fatalities 0 Pedestrian injuries 1 Collision fatalities 0 Accidents with injuries 3 Persons injured 4 Property damage accidents 16 Total for the year Pedestrian fatalities 22 Pedestrian injuries 413 Collision fatalities 24 Persons injured 2204 Total accidents 7204 bern, Mrs. Walkers former boy friend, at the cafe, McLeod said swer witnesses saw him leave in her THE FIRST CHARGE was the car.

only noticeable one. Dockerys Sheriff Jim Clark of Dallas; body bolted upward. His hands County, was to pick up extra- were tightly denched and the dition papers at Montgomery and then fly to Chicago. BV CHARLIE GRAINGER News staff writer TUSCUMBIA, Dec. 11 An all-time voting turnout is expected here Saturday when Colbert Coun-tians settle a hotly-fought wet-dry question.

Probate Judge Mrs. Jimmy Tompkins said up to 12,000 voters are expected to flood the polls to decide the prohibition issue. LEGAL CONTROL supporters are attempting to end a two-year period of prohibition in this Muscle Shoals area where the see-saw battle between wets and drys has been a prolonged one. Voters will answer the question: Do you favor the legal sale and distribution of alco-holie beverages within this county? Mrs. Tompkins said, "There has been a tremendous amount of interest shown by advocates of both sides.

We look for an all time record vote. Local soldier finds hobby helps future J. Ralph Dykes. 22, son of Mr.l Builders Assn, and Mrs. J.

Morgan Dykes of 642) The association was host last Princeton-av, sw, has just com-j night at a reception and dinner pleted basic training at Fort at the Tutwiler Hotel. Again, the governor described huge road-building program said the state would have to let $10 million in contracts a month to encumber funds avail- Jackson, S. and is going to the Army school for phot a-phers at Fort Monmouth, N. J. A graduate of Woodlawn High School, he was employed at Gen-eral Motors REV.

ROSCOE GRIFFIN Prohibition leader not only tax dollars, but thousands of trade dollars, and the financial need of the local hospital and needy. We recommend a tight model ordinance to the municipalities of our county concerning license qualifications. They have all agreed to adopt an ordinance blood, rapidly coursing through his body, gave his hands and arms a pink cast. The current continued for four minutes in varying degrees up to a maxintum of 2500 volts. Dockery was declared dead at 12:10 a.m.

He had paid the exereme penalty for the slaying of Willie T. Heatherly of near Cullman on or about Aug. 9, 1958. THE LATTER, a war worked in a Birmingham aircraft plant. His body was found dead in a thicket in a remote part of Morgan County.

A knotted leather belt, tightly girdling the dead mans neck indicated he had been garroted. Dockery, an ex-convict, was under parole from Michigan at the time. The state charged his motive for killing Heatherly was The condemned man, on the other hand, charged in his clemency appeal to Gov. John Patterson Wednesday afternoon that he killed Heatherly in self defense. He alleged that Heather-had made homosexual advances and had struck him with a rock.

THAT CHARGE, however, was strongly and bitterly denied by Heatherlys gray-haired mother and other close relatives during the clemency hearing. Dockery entered Kilby Prisons so-called room of no return just seconds after the stroke of mid Public health and volunteer agency workers meeting here include, from left, Dr. John McKee, division director; Dr. Carl A. F.

Holler, Etowah County health officer; Dr. William H. Simpson, chief psychologist at the Mobile Mental Health Center, and Miss Kathryn Fritz, mental health nurse with the U. S. Public Health -Service regional staff in Atlanta.

Recruitment off Lack of help slows mental aid work SHE CALLED the election for Saturday, instead of the usual Tuesday, after the petition by the legal control supporters was filed Nov. 10. It appeared to me. she said, that in this industrial county, more voters can be afforded the opportunity to vote on this day without inconveniences than any other day of the week. ye have conducted a high 1 rP 23 irst Assemoiy ot uoa The probate judge said 124 ab- jovgj campaign.

Greer asserted. Hureb, Woodlawn. Photography Corp. in i r- mingham when dykes that will limit all sales to off- jhe entered the Army six months premises consumption, prohibit- ago. He was born in Birmingham ing beer joints.

and was an Eagle Scout with Troop 25. First Assembly of God level campaign, Greer asserted Dockery Continued from Page 1 young soldier on leave from Ft. Sill, Okla. HOWARD MORRIS later told police he stopped about 65 miles from Atlanta to telephone his wife, who was expecting a baby. After making the call he let Dockery drive and went to sleep.

Morris said he was awakened by a blow on the head and found Dockery leaning over him with a knife and a bottle of chloroform. Morris said he jumped from the car and ran. Dockery drove off in Morris car. abandoned it and later threatened two men in a parking lot. One of them hit him on the head and Dockery ran into some woods.

Aug. 14 Bloodhounds tracked down Dockery. Aug. 16 Dockery confessed kidnaping and robbing Ellis, killing Heatherly, robbing the Hartselle service station and attacking the soldier. FOLLOWING Dockerys execution, his body was claimed by his family and taken to Fayette, where funeral services were held this morning.

No portion of the body was donated for medical purposes. The day he was convicted, Nov. 24. Dockery said he wanted to donate his body and his eyes to medical science. The Rev.

William B. Higgins, of Decatur, was to make the arrangements. Higgins said the executed man wanted to donate his eyes to the University of Alabama Medical Center at Birmingham. illness prevention program too much for granted. When measures to strengthen the states mental illness treat; ment program reached the floor of the Legislature, he said, The clinics were not in the package.

Allocations to the division's clinic program were added later, he pointed out after joint legislative sentee ballots have been cast. Sheqj-gg of name-calling and mud-a hobby, said this figure is about 100 less slinging and we are convinced the than the 1957 Legal Control absen-pe0pie know of our sincerity and tee vote, but pointed out that this agree with our principals, could be attributed to the fact that: We believe our citizens will the 57 election was held on Tues-reSponti with an overwhelming day when many persons werejvote in favor of legal control working. that is not for alcohol, but a vote The balloting by machine meth- t0 control its sale, the legal conod will be held Saturday from 8 trol leader added. a.m. to 6 p.m.

at the regular county polling places. PATTERSON disclaimed credit for the multi-million dollar annual expenditures. The reason for the program is not because I am governor, but because of projects coming due in this administration, he said. Illustrating the vastness of the road program, Patterson said $54 million in contracts was let in the first nine months of his administration. Six of Alabamas nine congressmen attended the ceremony.

They were U. S. Reps. George Huddleston, Carl Elliott, Kenneth Roberts, Bob Jones, George Grant and Armistcad Selden. Among state officials present were Lt.

Gov. Albert Boutwell, Finance Director Charles Meriwether, Public Safety Director Floyd Mann and a number of state senators and representatives. THE GOVERNOR gave the welcome address at the banquet last night. The reesponse was given by State Highway Director Sam Engelhardt. who commended the Alabama Road Builders Assn, for their two-day observance.

J. P. Moss of Birmingham, vice president of the American Road Builders was master of ceremonies at the banquet. E. N.

Rodgers, engineer-manager of the Alabama association, introduced guests seated at the head table. Earlier yesterday, eight bus BY JULIA HOLLEY News staff writer Recruitment of professional workers to staff community mental health cljnics was called one of the biggest stumbling blocks to growth of the public clinic program at a meeting in progress night. He was accompanied byiere- Father Wiggins, the Rev. Tilford D'- John McKee, director of the Junkins, pastor of a church in i State Health Departments di- efforts by public and private men Wylam, prison guards and offi-vision of mental hygiene, made tal health groups, ciais. the comment yesterday which; in this process, we learned He wore a loose fitting light- ended today.

some lessons, he said. We weight coverall. His head had The statutory ceiling for. sala- learned that the division of men- ries of psychologists was not tal hygiene and its parent organ-changed by the 1959 Legislature, ization. Public Health, must rec-he pointed out.

As a result, Dr. lognize the necessity of legisla-McKee said, Not much relief tive engineering. can be hoped, for in the di- THE PUBLIC HEALTH work-visions current shortage of ers also heard Dr. Alan D. Miller THE EXECUTION was under Negro accused in theft of bond AS THE CAMPAIGN climaxed today leaders of the opposing factions fired final campaign shots.

Both dry leader, the Rev. N. Roscoe Griffin and legal control A Gadsden Negro is in jail here spearheader Hoyt Greer predicted accused of stealing and cashing a victories. u. S.

Savings Bond. Said Griffin: i The Dry Committee is grati- PeiT-v Frank Bush' 18 alle2edly fied at the response made by stole the $25 bond from the mail-people all over the county. The I box of Raymond L. Lawrence, of interest shown encourages this 1421 Fulton-av committee as to the outcome of The bond was one of the new the election. smaller U.

S. Savings Bonds. As chairman of the (dry) committee I would like to ex-; Bush endorsed the bond with press my appreciation to all sub-: ie name ot one of the co-own-committees and all the citizens' crs am presented it at a Bir-of the county for their untiring mingham store for purchase and efforts in behalf of the cause. cange totaling $25, according to We are hopeful as to the out-: otliccrs come, the Sheffield First Baptist The store cashier, apparently Church pastor concluded. mistaking the bond for a check ARTHUR V.

WIEBEL Seller-Buyer speaker Sellers, buyers to hear Wiebel Arthur V. Wiebel. president of TCI, will be the principal speaker at the 13th annual seller-buyer dinner at Municipal loads of visitors toured a num-e u- ber of road projects in an areaiman of a special subcommittee The Purchasing Agents Assn, around Jefferson County. on traffic safety, pointed out that of Alabama stages the dinner They had box lunches at one; a one-year delay in starting the Officials at the medical center said, however, Dockery changed his mind in November, and wrote that he did so because he learned he wouldnt know who was to receive his eyes. Thomas Dockery, a brother, said the family objected to Dockery giving either his eyes or his body to medicine.

the direction of Warden C. P. Bur- clinical psychologists. )0f Denver, say that determining ford, although the signal to throw The mental health center at I the source of mental illness was the switch was given by someone Mobile and the new part-time the function of programs affiliat-the warden designated. center serving Lee County have ed with public health depart- The signal was the placing of an been incorporated as private con-ments.

orange disc, attached to a stick, cerns outside the public health) Dr. Miller is consultant in psy-in front of a hole in a wall separ- program, however. Dr. McKee chiatry for the U. S.

Public Health ating the death chamber and a pointed out. Service Region 8, with headquar- cubbyhole where the electric! THESE NON-PUBLIC health ters in Denver, switches are thrown. (programs, he said, can put The basic job of determining It developed that prison au- themselves in a competitive mar the extent to which mental ill-thorities had made several jket, and should shortly expect ness occurs in the community, changes in the long-established some relief. and under what circumstances, method of execution. I Attending the two-day meeting; should rest with a public rather are personnel of the divisions) than private agency, he said.

cumimn n0t a6 mistake untl1 each year. Salesmen serving in- of the new interstate sections un- interstate highway program in; GREEK, SHEFI lir.LD real es-me man nact tied. dustry and institutions of the der construction on the presentjl956 would have cost 5791 lives; INSTEAD of administering two eight clinics, several county health He added that this job is es tate dealer, pointed to a tre- is desci tption was broadcast state are inivted to share a fes- jU. S. 11 near Springville, where in traffic accidents and St.

500, 00(1, -heavy jolts of electricity there was officers, representatives of the sential to program planning for the biggest single earth-moving 000 in property loss. but one surge which varied in in-)U. S. Public Health Service at At-jboth public and private units. ci 1 iiiivu mendous swing in sentiment fa and city police picked Bush up tive program.

a. 1 I 1 1 Intno in IIInr.1 I later in U. S. Rep. Jones, member of tensity but continued four min- voring a system of legal control West End.

over prohibition in his final day statement. He reviewed his program by pointing out that the present law is resulting in wholesale vio was arraigned Commissioner Louise and charged with forgery. He was under $500 Dr. James W. Osberg, psychiatrist with the Atlanta regional office, U.

S. Public Health Service, said the community clinics should consider procedures for streamlining their programs to extend lanta and workers in volunteer mental health agencies. In reviewing the divisions progress in 1959, Dr. McKee warned the professional group that We took legislative sup- More than 1000 sellers and buy-He before U. S.

ers are expected to attend. O. Charlton: Birmingham's C. E. Wiberg is mail theft and president of the association, placed in County George L.

Wilson is dinner chair-Jail bond each on the man, and Carl F. Thomas, co-two charges. I chairman. operation in Alabama road building history is under' way. From there, then went to the Warrior interchange on U.

S. 31 (Interstate Route No. 65 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. U. S.

REP. ROBERTS, chair- the congressional public works committee, spoke on funds being made available for the 16-year country-wide highway program. The Warrior High School band provided music. utes. By that method the singeing of hair and flesh was avoided.

A glass partition had been built in the death chamber. Newsmen were invited to stand behind the lations, that the county is losing port of our community mental services to more people..