Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois • Page 3

Carbondale Hcrrfn Murphyrhoro Page Thrca SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1956 Minutes Before Explosion Described S'lei i in Bias? Inquest Is Continued; Schef tier Fails To Gray Defends Record, Raps Scoff Claims TAG DAY SET Volunters will Campaign In Herrin Saturday Herrin will hold its annual Vol lunteers of America Tag Day Satur day. Miss Helen Vansaghi is chairman of the drive. She will be af the drive headquarters at the city hall Saturday at 9 a. m. to meet with any young tag volunteers.

Funds derived from the drive are used cntirelv in the state to fur-ther the social welfare work of the organization. jmwm- in j.r 11 ma i i r. 1 i -i ji! Rep. Kenneth J. Gray (D-Wesi Frannfort) Thursday night fired back at Republicans in answer to charges against his record.

Gray was the principal speaker at a Democratic rally in the Ava Grade School. He told more than 250 persons at the meeting the "record of new work on Devil's Kitchen Dam and the Benton federal building speaks for itself." Gray, candidate for re-election in the 25th Congressional District, is opposed by Samuel Jack Scott of Metropolis. "If the Republicans want to use the record," Gray said, "get a load of this. My opponent doesn't even think enough of Southern Illinois and the people here to live with them. "His family lives at 3004 2nd St.

South, in Arlington, Va. Scott paid a 1955 poll tax in Virginia' Gray said. And did you ever hear of a candidate running for Congress from a mtel?" he said. Gray said Scott claims he is a practicing attorney in Metropolis. "But the Official Law Directory of Massac County does not have him listed.

He has never been listed in the directory in any of its current issues," he said. Gray charged his opponent with not having a program to offer die people in Southern Illinois, but that he "just wants to be on a team in Washington." Barrett Speaks At the rally, Jackson County candidate for State's attorney Troy Barrett blasted the Jackson County Court and the office of the state's attorney for their operations in the past years. "For about $700 per month Barrett said, "Judge Peyton Kunce spends three days a week in his office handle county court matters. "For about $7,200 per year, the Adolph Fluck at the inquest into the Herrin fire and explosion deaths today. Wallace was on At Cose Quarters cof ff Gray Matched same thing is true in the state's attorney's office.

Only there, the state's attorney has an assistant who draws $4,200 per year," Bar- rett charged. He said the assistant, like the judge, spends only two dap a week in the office. On county taxes, Barrett charged Judge Kunce with signing tax orders giving the railroad a third of their tax money back, but said the Woman Stricken After Reporting Youths' Prank A Carbondale woman was re ported in critical condition today alter being stricken near the police station Thursday night while re porting a Halloween "trick or treat Mrs. W. B.

Grissom, 56, of 204 S. Mantle is in Doctors Hos pital. The Hospital did not report the nature of her illness. Mrs. Grissom was taken to the Hospital at about 10 p.

m. by Carbondale firemen after she collapsed while walking from the police station to her automobile. Firemen gave her oxygen on the way to the hospital. Shortly before she became ill Mrs. Grissom told police three boys knocked at the door of her home and asked for "tricks or treats." When Mrs.

Grissom told the boys she had no candy or cookies, the boys then demanded money. Police said Mrs. Grissom told them the boys "g3e her a rough time." Mrs. Grissom was on her way home when she fell. Police took the boy's names but they were not held.

Police were kept busy for several hours Thursday night answering other calls of Halloween disturbances. At 7:30 p. m. diree teenage Murphysboro girls were seen hurling es at Carbondale Teen Town, 208 W. Elm St.

A few minutes later the girls were seen throwing eggs at buildings in the 400 block of South Illinois avenue, about one block from Teen Town. Someone phoned police the license number of a car the girls were riding in and the girls were later caught in Murphysboro. The teen-agers were released after they cleaned up the broken eggs. At 10 p. m.

police broke up mobs of teen-agers from Carbon dale and Murphvsboro near Com munity High School after a tele phone tip that a fight was brewing. Although the gangs were dis persed later disturbances occurred on South Forest and West Cherrv streets. During the night several "No Parking signs put up by South ern Illinois University on University avenue for Saturday's Home-comfng parade were ripped down. CCHSToCrovvn, Queen Tonight One of five Carbondale Community High School girls is to be crowned as Homecoming Queen tonight during the traditional dance after the game with Johnston City High, Candidates for the honor include Linda Maloy, Lucy Brown, Susan Taylor, Sondra Wom- ack, and Linda Forsythe. Identity of the queen will be announced at coronation time, school authori ties said this morning.

The school held a homecoming parade this afternoon. Game time is 7 p. m. HALLOWEEN PARTY SET AT CARTERVILLE A Halloween party sponsored bv the Band-Parents Assn. will be held Saturday night at the Carter- ville Teen Town.

Prizes for costumes will be awarded. Admission cost will be 25 cents. Refreshments will be served free. BULLSEYE! Members of the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad St. Louis Division policc pistol team snap in at the rapid-fire poiition.

The team IL-y- ti 7 w' C' hs I Appear A the fire truck which arrived at the scene shortly before the blast. Kenneth J. Gray (D-West Frankfort), incumbent U. S. Representative from the 25th Congressional and Sam Jack Scott, Metropolis, Repul-lican candidate for the same post, are to have a discussion at a ''forum." The "discussion" which is likely to explode into a hot debate although it isn't being called a debate will be in Shryock Auditorium at Southern Illinois University from 8 p.

m. to 10 p. m. Ihursday. Pi Sigma Alpha, national political science honorary fraternity at SIU, is sponsoring the politkal joust.

Moderator is to' be Alfred L. Greiman, SIU graduate government student, and president of the organization. The government club says Gray and Scctt are to have an "open discussion, not a debate, because we aren't following debate regulations." Each candidate is to speak and a question period will follow at which any rebuttals will be made. Scott has attacked Gray as being a "noisy but do-nothing congressman' and Gray says Scott is "a stranger to the area" and has few connections here. ICAgentsAre Pistol Champs Members of the Illinois Central St.

Louis Division railroad police pistol team shot their way to the railroad northern division revol ver championship Tuesday. Members of the St. Louis divi sion team are from Carbondale, Cairo and Centralia. The local men outshot a Chica go Division team which has never before been beaten in IC competi tion. On their way to the northern di vision title teams from East St.

Louis, Champaign, Clinton, Wat erloo, and Freeport were elim inated. The champions will shoot against the southern division winner when the southern title is decided. Southern finalists are New Orlans, and Paducah, Ky. The northern division match was held at Champaign and the modified pistol course used. Winning score for the locals was 92.8 against Chicago's 91.2.

St. Louis Division high shooter was Bill Lynn, Cairo, with 96.8. The modified course begins with 10 rapid fire from the hip shots at the seven yard line. Five shots are fired from a prone position at 35 vards, five shot? from the right hand and five from the left behind a barricade at 25 yards. Silhouette targets are used at all ranges.

Onlt .38 special caliber revolver arc Uf.cJ. The win this year came after three straight years of being run- nerup to the Chicago team. The St. Louis Division has about 15 ag ents and police to draw from against a staff of about 90 men in Chicago. A coroner's inquest into the explosion and fire which took eight lives in Herrin last Thursday has teen continued to next week.

After almost three hours of tes-tSmony this morning, Coroner Adolph Fluck conferred with States Atty. Carl Sneed. They announced a decision to delay further action until after a report is received from the state fire marshal's office. Fluck said an attempt had been made to have Roy Richardson, assistant state fire marshal, and Bob Stewart, deputv marshal, at the inquest. He reported they were in Chicago checking a valve taken from the tank truck which touched the blasL Louis H.

Scheffier, operator of the propane gas truck, had been subpoenaed, but did not appear. Mis attorney presented a doctor's statement saving Scheffier was not in condition ro be called. Fluck said that if Scheffler's condition permits, he will be called at the Text hearing. Witnesses disagreed as to whether Scheffier tried to warn people to move out of the area after the gas started leaking from the tank truck. Gary Kellv, Scheffler's son-in- law, said he saw him warn a little girl and her mother to get out of the gas 02.

"He was hollering loud. enough that the people on 26th street shoula have heard him, unless they were hard of hearing," Kel ly said. He also said he shouted at people standing around and motioned A mem trut isz uie area. Kelly testified his father-in-law had owned the tank truck about a month and that he "filled a bottle at the platform cms time after he rot the truck. This was the only time he saw Scheffier filling a tank, Kelly said.

Gilbert Wallace, an off-duty fire-man who answered the alarm at the gas plant, testified he heard someone shouting before the explosion but could not tell what was being said. Herbert Eugene Long, who was at his father's house at 1109 W. Cherry, said he walked to the truck after he heard the hissing sound of gas escaping. He said Scheffier was trying to stop the leak, and looked up at him, but did not say a word. Long said he heard no warning at all.

His wife, Imogene Long, said she walked down 26th btreet toward the Williams and Kerley residences but heard no warning. one was scared. Everyone was just standing around talking and laughing," Mrs. Long said. Fluck read a statement taken from Scheffier on Oct.

19, the night after the fire, in which the Dlant operator said he had warned Mrs. Keller and her daughter away from the area after the gas started leaking. Scheffler's statement also said he purchased the truck about a month before the blast from the White River Distributing Co. in Batesville, and had filled it with 1 ,000 gallons of propane earlier Thursday in Elkville. In the statement, Scheffier admitted filling cylinders in the past from the truck, but said he had not filled any the day of the blast.

Herrin firemen said the explosion came "from three to five minutes" after they arrived at the scene. Firemen testifying were Gilbert Stampini, and Fire Chief Carl Mayers, who followed the truck to the scene. Other witnesses were Robert Keller, William and Beulah Mortimer, Jim McGee, Owen L. Smith, Robert Long, Sheriff Carl Miller and R. L.

Odum. 3-Day Church Service Ends Rev. T. A. Carruth, Nashville, field director of the preaching mission for the General Board of "Evangel im of the First Methodist Church today was guest speak er at a "Missions to Members" service at the First Methodist Church in Murphysboro.

Rev. Carruth, who is covering the nation on "Mission to Members" services, was also a guest speaker in the Spiritual Life Mission at the Carbondale First Metho-. dist Church this week. The services today climaxed a three-day service in Murphysboro. Today 's session vvas attended by visiting preachers and representatives from 52 churches in the Carbondale District.

Services will end tonite with Rev. Clvde Funkhouse preaching .1 r- .1 i' 1 tne nnai sermon at tnc Aiurpnys-bc-io chuxcL 0 Josephine Conti Miss Conti Dies Af 24 Josephine Conti, 24, 516 W. Monroe, Herrin, died about 2:30 a. m. today Doctors Hospital, Carbondale, a victim of leukemia.

She had been in ill health about three months. Miss Conti, a bookkeeper for Zwick Stores in Herrin, was active in civic and club activities in Herrin. She was president of the Herrin Business and Professional Club and a past president of the Junior Woman's Club. She was a member of the Herrin Junior Woman's Club, Daughters of Isabella, the Catholic Women's Club and the Herrin Clerks Union. She was a past president of the Herrin Teen Town.

She leaves her parents; brother Joe of Herrin and Sam of West Virginia; and sisters, Mrs. Tince Tranpini of Johnston City and Mrs. Mary Grafft of Du Quoin. Funeral services will be Monday ak 9 a. m.

at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Herrin. Msgr. Robert De Gasperi will officiate. Burial will be in St.

Carlos Cemetery. Friends may call at the Johnson Funeral Home, Herrin, after 6 p. m. Saturday. A rosary will be said at 7:15 p.

n. Sunday at the funeral home. A second rosary will be said at 7:30 p. m. Sunday by the daughters of Mary, of which she was a a member.

Lena Bofetta, regent, Daughters of Isabella, Herrin, said members of the organization would meet at the funeral home at 7 p. m. Sunday for the rossary. Herrin Council To Meet Monday Herrin Mayor Dave H. Miller said today the City Council will meet Monday in a called session.

Miller said the Council is to act again on a $20,000 working cash fund bond issue for work on Herrin sewers. The Council approved the issue earlier. The meeting was made necessary by an error in publica tion. HERRIN BLAST VICTIM FUND MOUNTS TO $844 The fund for victims of the Her rin propane gas tragedy which took the lives of eight persons last week mounted to $844 today. Mayor Dave H.

Miller said la test contributions received are from Dr. E. F. Lyday, Herrin, $10, and the Ninety and Nine Class, First Christian Church Herrin, $61. won the railroad's northern din- sidn title.

At far left is B. W. Ellis, St. Louis Division special agent in charge. Shooters from left are Martin Brust, Carbon- SIU Seniors Elect Phelps Southern Illinois University students climaxed campus politics with elections Tuesday, clearing the way for Homecoming activities' this weekend.

Besides class officers, the voting selected the Homecoming Queen and her attendants, the freshman student council, and a chairman If or the Sill Spring Festival. Elected were: Homecoming queen and her court: Jane Curry, Queen, Cairo, Pat Bruce of Fairfield, Lois Kalla of Chicago, Kay Sue Eadie of Van-dalia and Dot Hamilton of. Hammond, Ind. Attendants were Patricia Dey of Carbondale and' Patricia Elder of Eldorado. Spring Festival Chairman: Jack Thatcher of Normandy, Mo.

Senior Class: Edmund Phelps of Alton, president; Margaret Ric-chie of Carbondale, vice-president; Dennis Perry of East St. Louis, secretary-treasurer. Junior Class: William Spacy of Carbondale, president; Nora Lan-greder of Roxana, vice-president; Dale Cozad of Odin, Sophomore Class: Gaylord Hay-den of Streator, president; Mary Kay Richards of Dupo, vice-president; Dianne Finley of Carbondale, secretary-treasurer. Freshman Class: Jim Whitten-berg of Carbondale, president; Yvonne Anton of Alton, vice-president; Sara Teschner of Elmhurst, secretary-treasurer. Student Council Representatives: Marsha Van Cleave of Carbon dale, Alary Kay Sharkey of Car bondale, John Baker of Harris burg and Jerry Feezel of Wood Ri ver.

MARY WHELCHEL DIES Funeral Services Sunday For Murphysboro Resident Mrs. Mary Jane Whelchel, 66, Murphysboro, died at her home on Rt. 1 Thursday night following an illness of two months. She was born in Pinckneyville in 1890, and had lived in the Mur physboro area most of her life. She wras married in 1907 to Roy Whelchel, who survives.

Mrs. Mrs. Anna Mae Ellis and Mrs. Nettie Mason, both of Rt. 1, sons Arthur of Rt.

4, Murphysboro, Raymond of New York, Freeman and Russel, both of East St. Louis, Edmond of Fargo, N. and Alfred of Rt. 1, Murphysboro, and a sister, Mrs. Kate Tate of Jacob.

She was a member of the Baptist Church. Friends may call at the family home until services Sunday at 2 p. m. at the home. Irene Chaney will officiate at services.

Burial will be in the Mt. Carbon Cemetery, under auspices of the Meyer-Denny Funeral Home of Murphysboro. TROY LANN0M DIES died Thursday at Ft." Leonard Wood, Mo. He formerly lived on Rt. 5, Services will be held at 3:30 p.

m. Sunday in the Mitchell Funeral Home, Marion, wrhere friends may call after 7 p.m. today. dale, alternate member; Ken Crites, Carbondale; Don Cox, Centralia; Bill Lynn, Cairo, and Royal Ballard, Centralia. Lynn FIREMAN TELLS STORY Gilbert Wallace, Herrin fire- man, is sworn in by Coroner LP Gas License Rule Studied In Murphysboro A license for liquid propane dealers is expected to be passed bv the Murphysboro City Council tonight.

Mavor Joe Williams said city officials plan to require a license for liquid propane dealers to give the city a safety check on gas oper ations and to permit action against violators. City Atty. C. E. White said the present regulations providing for control over gas dealers are listed in a general set of operational rules set up by the National Fire Pro tective Assn.

White said the city is checking to see that any action the Council takes will be in line with regulations set down by the national as sociation. Mayor Williams said a delega tion representing the residential ar ea around Logan and 22nd Streets is expected to protest location of a propane bottle filling station near the Missouri-Pacific Railroad track at Logan and 23rd streets. The group wants operator F. S. Craine to move his station.

Craine said his plan is operating under prescribed safety codes. The Council is expected to hear a report on a meeting last week of the water and gas committee, a delegation of Mt. Carbon residents, and Murphysboro Water Co. President L. R.

Howson. The Mt. Carbon group is seeking municipal water service, and the meeting was arranged to discuss financial aspects of several plans to provide city water service. Mayor Williams said the Council also will survey a future dangerous traffic problem in the Mt. Carbon area, where the new Rt.

13 crosses the Street road just north of the Carver Grade School in Mt. Carbon. Williams said Rt. 13 traffic at that point has a 40-mile-per-hour speed limit, and said the city probably will provide watchman service during school hours. No Action Taken On Gas Ordinance The West Frankfort City Council deferred action Thursday-night on a proposed ordinance to ban LP gas depots widiin a half mile of the city limits.

The Council discussed the matter at some length and voted to meet again at 5:30 p. m. Monday to take action on the matter, ihe ordinance was proposed after citizens demanded such a move in the wake of the Herrin disaster. Carbondale Fire A tiash and waste paper fire which got out of hand at the Sani Cremesice cream stand on West Main street in Carbondale was extinguished by firemen at 3 p. m.

Thursday. Fire Chief Monk Craw-shaw said there was no property damage. Cs L. MILLER DIES Funeral services for Carroll Lee Miller, 92, of 921 E. College Marion, will be held at 2 p.m.

Sunday in the Mitchell Funeral Home of Marion. Burial will be Two area congressional can-diates who have been verbally blasting at one another from a distance for several weeks will meet Thursday at closer quarters. Healfh Counci Officers Named Jackson County Health Officer Dr. R. F.

Sondag this week announced the officers to head the newly formed Jackson County Health Council. Names as chainvoman is Mrs. Katherine J. Christensen of Murphysboro, who represents the American Legion Paul Stout Post 127 Ladies Auxiliary. John Moake of Carbondale wa named vice-chairman, representing the Carbondale Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Miss Mary Slechticky of r- physboro was named secretary of the Council, representing the health department. About 50 Jackson County organizations are represented on the Council. The Council is to act as an advisory group to the health department. West Frankfort Retail Clerks On Picket Line Striking West Frankfort clerks picketed stores today in a dispute involving their demand for premium pay for night work. West Frankfort merchants recently initiated a Monday night opening program in the city.

Fred Ammond, International Union vice-president, said about 60 clerks and 12 stores are involved in the dispute. All are in the downtown area. He said some stores are striking while others have locked workers out. The clerks went out on strike Thursday morning, he said. Ammond said no negotiations to resolve the situation have yet been scheduled.

BRICKER ELECTED Former Resident Chosen Head Of Medical Foundation Dr. Eugene M. Bricker, Ladue, former Carbondale resident recently was elected president of the Doctors Medical Foundation, in St. Louis, Mo. Dr.

Bricker, son of Mrs. George Bricker of Murphysboro, is a general surgeon and cancer specialist in private practice in St. Louis. He lived in Carbondale until 1930 when he left to attend Medical School at Washington Univer-St. Louis, Mo.

A graduate of Carbondale Com-munitv High School, he studied pre-mcdical courses at Southern Illinois University. private taxpayer still must pay. Barrett said the states attorneys office and the railroads get together and work out "stipulations' and the judge then signs orders giving the railroads a large part of their money back. Other speakers were J. M.

(Brother) Burns, of Sparta, can didate for state senator in the 44th District, and county candidates. IN KOREA Pfc. Harold W. Berts, 28, son of Mrs. Martha Woodard, 208 Grove Ave.

Anna, is a member of the 15 th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion in Korea. He attended Cypress High School. MINE REPORT Mines Not Working Saturday Old Ben 9 Old Ben 14 Old Ben 22 Orient 3 Orient 2 Buckhorn Zeigler 3 Freeman 4 New Kathleen Pyramid Truax Traer No. 2 Mines Working Saturday Buckhorn was high team shooter at the match, held in Chaampaisn. He fired 96.8.

Team ore a 92.8. II. Illl IH jgH.HHI"HI,lJ II 111 II I I MM I I Willi I I ZjLM rwO v'- jsty f- jA i'. A s-A- 1 r4A 1 a ly in Odd Mow Cemlejy.