The Sedalia Democrat from Sedalia, Missouri • Page 1

THE SEDALIA DEMOCRAT Serves the Liveliest and Most Productive Territory in Central Missouri Volume Number 8 CITY EDITION Democrat Katabliahed 1868 Sedalia, Missouri, Tuesday, January 8, 1957 Ten fuH Associated Press Leased Wire and Wide World Feature! Seven Cenu Council Favors Buying Water Company Grand Jury Convenes Here; Judge Hoffman Gives Charge Is First Since 1949; Session Begins at 2 p.m. Pettis first grand jury; since June, 1949, convened this afternoon at 2 in the Circuit Court room. Officials deviated from a method often used in the past for calling grand juries. Instead of the jurors being picked from the and a list published 30 days in advance, they were picked by the sheriff and were not made public until the hour for them to convene. Offici-j als said the latter methods were; used to speed up the process.

The other change In procedure was in the charge to the jury, 'u the past Judge Hoffman has prepared a formal charge and released it several days before the jury convened. This time the judge declined to release a charge in this OtTSTANDING YOUNG MA.N-Dr. Hafh E. kls Vwtrentty MIsswirt medical lalmralary at CrtamWa, hm heem named one tlw nation's entstanding ky Ike national Junior Chamber of Commerce. Dr.

was elted for his cardiac defibrillator, which he above, and for his work ta behalf the nnlrerslty's new 4-yenr medical school whose departraeiit of he beads. defibrillator la designed to rerive heart healing hy etoctiic Im- phwe. (AP photo) HiMouri Bar Magistrate Recommends Speed Limit, Larger Patrol 4 Would Set Price At $2,114,000 Financed by Bonds Mayor Is Authorized to Arrange Contract Subject to Approval Of the City's Qualified Voters TANKER FROM SUEZ by the Egyptian tug, right, the Norwegian tanker, EH Knudsen, turns around In the Suez Canal at El Kantara. Egypt. the first of the 13 ships marooned in the blocked canal to begin moving out.

All of the 13 originally Scruton were southbound. (NEA RAIDO-Telephoto) Police Chief Tells Careless Driving Is Down, But Intoxicated Driving Increases The annual report oi Chief Police Edgar Neighbors was filed with the City Council at ka regular meeting Monday night, revealing manner and instead, delivered his had its biggest year in Tbo County Magitomto. Fraidt T. Armstrong, has rocom- to tbe traffic committee by the Highway Palro4 has many food featnrcs, which I approve. However, it is suggettod of the Mimourt State Bar a refusal to aubmil to a tion thag be proposed for Wood testing to ttxm ukoxica- to set a uniform speed law, allow ttoo is grounds for immediate Magistrates to revoke Uceoses of a license.

To first If guiUy of negli- this I cannot agree. If in itself it raise licetwe age to nW constitutioiial. certainly fence, 17. and an increased patrol the spirit of the ronsti with aeveral other A is being by the Bar committee of ail the in Missouri to find ttiear recommendations for strengthening the traffic laws. Arm- letter gives six main pmnta for chanipng the traffic laws.

The six points are as foUows; Firtt, I believe a imiform apeed law should be enacted by the General AsserWily. I believe that a driver, when confronted with making an emergency stop, wkh safety to himself, his passengers or his cargo, when traveling over 50 miles per hour, cannot do 0 as he does not have his under proper control. Therefore, I suggest a minimum speed (rf 50 miles per hour, both for day and night. In this connection, it would be unwise to pass a speed law, unless it can be strictly enforced. In my opinion, this cannot be done with the present Highway Patrol.

The Patrol should be increased and then this speed law should be strictly enforced. For five convictions, it should then be mandatory for any judge to revoke the license of the driver, a minimum period of ftix months. "2, There should be a statute enacted to allow the Magistrate, in his judgment, to revoke a license for first offenders, provided the defendant is guilty of culpable negligence, that is, the utter disregard for human life. license should not be issued to persons under 17 years of age. This would take care of juvenile drivers, who are at present enjoying a field day, for as juveniles they cannot be prosecuted for violations.

The ten point program spon- tution. No out should furmah turn to page 2. column 7) Wehlier Appoints Area Chairmen For Polio Drive Scott Webber, Pettia County of chairman, announced today the appointment of community chairmen ftw the 1957 March of Dimes. Walter Pace, LaMonte postmaster, will again head the drive in his community, having served in that capacity ever since the inception of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. In the other towns, the chairmen are: Mrs.

J. C. Higgins, Houstonia; Paul Van Natta, Hughesville; Vergil Oglevie, Green Ridge; and Paul McKee, Smithton. All of the communities are planning special events, and each will participate this year in the March on Polio, the house-to- house canvass for donations on the last night of January, which closes the drive. The community chairmen were unanimous in calling for help from all the clubs and groups throughmit the county, to Finish the against polio.

charge to the jurors in an manner. Prosecuting Attorney Harold Barrick recommended the calling of a grand jury in a formal letter to Judge Hoffman. When asked about the call, did not give any particular reason for it other than they felt that one should be called because there had not been one for several Sinca Friday when the grand jury order was made known to the public, ipeculation among the citi- zeaa has been rampant. All sorts of guesses have been made as to what the Jury will take up, including gambling, selling intoxicating beverages to and the condition public Imildings. A letter from tbe Pettia County Prosecuting Attorney Harold Barrick that waa filed Thursday suggested the order for a grand jury and ptodged his fullest cooperation.

The letter sent to Judge Hoffman reads in part, to our conversation, I wwild like to suggest a grand jury be convened by the Sheriff of Pettis County immediately following tha January term of Circunt Court. "I feel that publicity should be given to the existence of the grand jury so that any person, regardless of who it be. who has any just complaint of any nature to make can receive a courteous audience. assure you that I will give my fullest The 12 jurors are C. R.

Stoddard, John Vaiidekamp, B. B. Ihrig. R. M.

Overstreet, Julius Stohr. Herbert Sidney Swope, William Hurlbut, A. G. Billingsley, Merle Templeton. A tmi and George 'tockett.

history in police fines assessed and collected. Several interesting points are out in the report with refereoot to traffic latHKIS. Another all-time record Soviet Vows To Give East Germans Help The Truth of it not much to say about the weather today except that just plain Cloudy with occasional light rain or drizzle tonight; colder Wednesday with rain or snow; low tonight in upper 20s; high Wednesday in lower 30s. Tlie temperature at 7 a. m.

was 40; 47 at 1 p.m., and 48 at 2 p. m. Low Monday night 33. Misty. The temperature one year ago today, high low 15; two years ago, high 41, low 33; and three years ago, high 65, low 45.

Stage at Lake of the Ozarks 50.4 fali .20. Deny Plot to Invade Guatemala Via Mexico MEXICO CITY Foreign Ministry says it knows nothing about a reported plot under way for a Communist-backed invasion of Guatemala from Mexico. It denied the government is taking any action. The plot was by the newspaper La Prensa. what it called reliable sources.

La Prensa said the scheme was fi nanced by international commu nism and that trucks carrying men and weapons already were at the border. The newspaper that non- Ckimmunist enemies of President Carlos Castillo Armas of Guate mala were Joining the plotters, hoping for an internal uprising. Castillo Armas became president in September 1954 after leadiRg the revolt that overthrew the leftist government of Jacobo Arbenz Guzman in June of that year. The Guatemalan Embassy said conditions in Guatemala were quiet and the first it had heard of any plot was the newspaper story. Annual Elections Held by Local Firms Annual elections of members to boards oi directOTs aiKi officers are held today by the Sedalia Bank and Trust the Third Na tional Bank, Community Hotel Association.

From 10 a.m. in the morning stockholders cast their ballots for board members and the boards met in the afternoOTi, at which time elec tions were conducted. Home Again MOSCOW iJV-Ths Soviet Union hM promised CoimnuniaC East Germany more ectmomic help ami more control over Russian troops to East German soil. A communiqua signed last night at the Kremlin apparently did not go as far, however, as recent agreements on the Soviet forces stationed in Poland. There was no suggestion, sx- ample, that the East Berlin government would be givra any say- so on the number of Russian in East Germany and their movement about the country.

This has been promised the Poles. Instead the ctmimunique said an agreement wi tbe Soviet forces in East Germany, to be concluded would cover such matters as jurisdiction in cases and civil action, the use of housing and service premises occupied by Soviet military units, the use of lines and means of communication and means of There also was no time limit set for the stay in East Germany, something the Poles have not been told either. (The East Berlin radio said Russia had pledged that its troops would not interfere in East internal affairs, but no such specific pledge was contained in the oKkial text of the communique. Poland was given such a guarantee in an agreement signed in Moscow in December.) Signing of the communique completed three days of negotiations here between Soviet leaders and an East Germcui delegation headed by Premier Gtto Grote- wdil. The talks took place in an atmosphere of the.

statement said. of lished, which the police hopes will be cut down this year, is the number, of persons arrested for driving a motw vehicle while under the influence of Intoxicating beverages. In the past year, 302 persons were arrested, compared wkh tbe previous year of 209 and 1954 of 139. But there good numher of arrests mile during the year for careless xnd reckless took a slump. There were 197 diarged with speeding, 218 for the previous year, while in the speeding section there was a definite increase, to 368 against 327 in 1955.

The pdice point (MJt the arrests made of WTiiteman AFB personnel are considerably fewer than what hM been reported, according to completed dieck of police were picked up and relea.sed to their parents, compared with 20 the previous year, an overall Increase of 147 to 113, or 34 mwe. Twenty-one cars were reported stolen and all recovwed. Police recovered an estimated $62.095.93 in stolen property compared with $41,158 in 1955. A more detailed report is to be given later. Hodge Gets March 4 Limit On Probation records which indicate whether oc not a person is in the service at Wlutemian pefnwond are arrested, reports! Hodge are made to tiie provost District CHICAGO yfl-Drviile E.

Hodge, imprisoned fcHtner Illinois state auditor, has been given until Mardi 4 to qualify for probation By D. Kelly The City Council. Monday night, pas.sed a resolution favoring the purchase of the Sedalia Water at a price of to be financed on revenue bonds. The resolution called for authorizing the Mayor, Julian H. Bagby, to contract for the purchase subject to the approval of the qualified voters of Sedalia.

An election for revenue bonds to finance the purchase is to held on Tuesday, Feb. 19 and will be for $2,700.000. The difference between the $2,114,000 and $2,700,000 or $586,000 would be used to pay the balance of improvements made and expansion of the company since July 31, 1956. It was explained the bonds would not in any way increase the city taxes and would be paid for solely from the derived from the operations. The ordinance calling for the special election was read for the first time and set the election date.

Mayor Bagby explained the recommendation to purchase the water company was made by special Citizens Committee which investigated the possibilities of its purchase and the suggested sale price. This Committee is to carry on further meetings and will inform the public as to the bene- Bagby quickly replied, it is an excellent report and indicated the work the department has done over the year, especially the fact no traffic fatalities had occurred in Sedalia the pas', Chief of Police Edgar Neighbors asked for the floor and explained the report and said he was exceptionally proud of it, especially over the fact no one had lost their life (Please turn to Page 2, Col. 3) Bills to Alter Juvenile Code Are Submitted They Are Products Of Statewide Study By Special Group JEFFERSON CITY to modernize patchwork juvenile code hit the Senate yesterday, products of a statewide study by a special committee. Sen. George A.

Sprticer (D) of Columbia, the committee chairman, said they would bring the outdated juvenile laws into line with modern conditions and keep AFB. Each time federal sentence. I Hodge appeared befm-e U. S. Judge John P.

Barnes office. Of 302 Intoxicated drivers, 57 were from Whkeman; the 197 careless and reckless drivers arrested, there were only 42 base personnel, of the 368 speeders, only 49 were from the base. Leaving the scene of an accident totalled 17, compared to eight the previous year. More than half the number were later apprehended and prosecuted. As to the fines Judge Willard Morris assessed Of the fines assessed, $46,925.50 was paid; the court granted $1,132 in stays; there are $853.50 fines delinquent; and $2,593 were credited where a defendant spent days in jail to make up the amount.

It was largest year in fines: in 1955 it was and in 1954 $29,933. For the year, the police answered 2,540 calls and made 2,626 arrests, or 72 more arrests than in 1955. Prisoners spent a total prison sentences 570 days in jail, compared to 300 to 15 years yesterday on a government writ asking why be has not made more ample restitution of the estimated 114 million dollars in state funds investigators say he stole, Tbe former leader did not speak during tbe court hearing. But his attorney, Arthur told the court Hodge had done in Us to make restitution. He said Hocfee turned over deeds to all real estate he owns.

This would add up to rertitution of $650,000. However, there was an obstacle in the way of quick liquidation these assets, liiis arose through action by wife, Margaret, who has filed suit in Sangamon Cwnty (SpringfieJd) claiming that some of tbe property Hodge signed over to the state actually belongs to her. This action could delay liquidation by a year or more. Hodge is serv'ing concurrent neglected children from being fits of city ownership of the as criminals. Among them is one to require school attendance until the age of in 1955.

The juvenile record increased. There were 42 picked up and released with a warning, compared with 36 in 1955 65 picked up and released to juVenile office's, compared with 57 for 1955; and 40 Wants Drunk Drivers To Pick Up Bottles DENVER m-A Colorado state senator came up today with a new idea for punishment of persons serving jail sentences for driving while intoxicated. like to sec them be required to pick When Judge Barnes fixed sentence on the federal charges last 15 he said that he might cut the 20-year sentence to 10 years if Hodge proved he had paid back to the state as much as he could. Hodge is scheduled today to appear before a federal grand jury in Springfield. Kennedy to Address Jackson Day Dinner SPRINGFIELD.

UP Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass) has accepted an invitation to address up the whisky bottles and beer the 34th annual Jackson Day ban- along our said duet here Feb. 23. SAFE AFTER ORDEAL Actress Marie MacDonald, re- coiierating In her Encino, Cal.

home after being released by kidnappers, holds her three- months- old danghter, Tina Marie. Miss MacDonald said was a gun pointed at the infant that forced her to leave ihe home with the abductors. Benson Will Inspect Drouth Area Again W.YSHINGTON UP The Missouri drought situation will get another inspection by Secretary of Agriculture Benson. Benson said yesterday the federal government would be corrected if it was in error on drought disaster designations. He macle the statements to the House Agriculture Committee after Rep.

Charles W. Brown told the committee that conditions were severe. Brown said 50 to 75 per cent of the farmers in his 17 county southwestern Missouri district were ou. of hay. Protests Secrecy WASHINGTON (iB-Rep.

Wayne Hays (D-Ohio) stamped out of a House heariim today on President emw gency Middle East plan with a protest that the public admitted. cans Sen. A. Woody Hewett, a Boulder Republican. Hewett said he would have a bill drafted if there are no legal obstacles to the plan.

The dinner is regarded as one of the major party gatherings each year in the state. Last year 4,000 persons attended. pany. Six ordinances were given final passage: to construct curb and guttering on Gentry from Second Street to First Street Terrace; to pave with a rock base to be primed and seal coated Gentry from Second to First Street Terrace; letting the contract to J. W.

Construction of a sewer in District 1j31; two ordinances accepting work done, improvements made, and materials furnished on two sewers, one of the J. W. Atkinson in District 121 and the other by V. A. Siegel and Son in District 138.

Councilman Woodrow Garrison of the Street and Alley requested permission to spend $125 for a five-ton hydraulic jack. It was approved. Councilman R. N. Snavely, Fire and Water Committee, reported the Fire Department was in need of two nozzles, Siamese coupling, and hose expander at a cost of $150.

It was approved for purchase. Councilman Harry Moore stated the City Engineering Department wanted three ordinances passed creating new Sewer District to be known as 126, 134 and 135 to take care of new additions which already have the sewers but have not been districted. Councilman Jim Shaw reported a gas stove had blown up in the police department and asked permission to purchase a new one at a cost of $150, The purchase was approved. The regular monthly report of the various departments we read and approved by the Council and placed on file, L. W.

Dickman, electrical inspector, presented his annual report which was read before the Council. The annual Police Department report was read. Councilman Aubrey Case after its reading asked if it was or Mayor Oklahoma Pasture Is End of Line 16 or graduation frtMn high school. The present law puts the age at 14 or completion of the eighth grade. Another would make it a misdemeanor for a minor to misrepresent his age to buy 3.2 the provision that applies now to purchase of liquor.

A plan to take the State Revenue Department out of politics and put its employes under the merit system was introduced during a skeleton House session. It was offered by Rep. A. Clifford Jones (R) of St. Louis County, who said collecting and politics do not mix.

It is high time that the tax collecting and enforcing arm of the government be taken away from the spoils The Revenue Department is the biggest state agency remaining in the political patronage system. Another bill would give law enforcement officials the right to take blood tests of drivers suspected of being intoxicated. It was introduced by Rep. Thomas D. (D) of Cole County in behalf of the Highway Patrol.

than ,15 of one per cent of alcohol by weight in the blood stream would be conclusive evidence of intoxication. Less than .05 per cent would be proof a man was sober. A showing betw'een .05 and .15 per cent would require other evidence to prove intoxication. Conviction on a first offense would be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500 and up to one year in jail. A second conviction would mean 30 days to a year in jail and a fine up to 1 000 A third conviction would be a felony, punishable by a prison term up to five years.

Under present law, a driver can refuse an intoxication test and nothing can be done about it. PLANE AFTER CRASH woman died and nine others were Injured when this two- engine American Airlines plane crash-landed in a pasture several oides from the Tulsa. airport. The wings were torn off In orash. (NEA Telephoto) MKT Railroa4 Merger Rumored at Meeting CHICAGO if) Directors of the Missouri Kansas Texas railroad gathered a meeting today amid unconfirmed reports a merger move.

There were published reports that a merger may be with the Chicago (Treat Webern Railway. Donald Fraser, M-K-T president, told a nevwpian he had information give out at this INSIDE STORIES Stories of FBI agents infiltrating Communist (nrganizations have presented the question di whether Red have managed to (fo the same to fim FBI For an answer on this question read Hal Boyle's uma on Page 7..