The Decatur Daily Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 62

J. J. J. J. J.

J. J. J. J. J.

J. PAGES TODAY. THE DECATUR REVIEW Decatur, Illinois, Thursday, January 21, 1954. Decatur's WTVP Television Slated To Return to Air Three Announcers Join Three Executives Who Left Station Yesterday Station WTVP was expected to on the air at 2 p. m.

go today, its regular starting time, President W. L. Shellabarger announced shortly before noon. WTVP was off the air most of yesterday following the resignations of three of the top executives. The station came on with sound only for the "Backstage for Polio" benefit at 10:15 p.

m. yesterday. It was also reported that the video portion came on at 12:15: a. m. today, five minutes after the polio benefit ended.

Shellabarger said this morning that today's programs, would not include as much as usual because several of the top performers had not reported for work. The performers who did not report yesterday include Tony Parker, sports director and announcer; Miss Dolores Ryan, women's director, and Dick Shaughnessy. Parker and Shaughnessy said last night they had not resigned and, as far as, they knew, they had not been fired. Shellabarger emphasized today that no one has been fired and no one has been asked to resign. "We didn't fire anvone and we didn't ask anyone to resign," Shellabarger said.

"We also didn't say anything that could be interpreted that way," he added. The president of Prairie Television, owners of WTVP, was referring to a statement yesterday by Harold G. Cowgill, former general of the station, in which he manager said: "Irreconcilable differences in views and positions were expressed (at a meeting yesterday morning). Whereupon President William L. Shellabarger requested the immediate resignation of myself, Program Director Paul Taff, and Chief Engineer James Wulliman.

"If there ever was language constituting a demand, such language was used by Shellabarger in demanding our resignations." In referring to the performers who had: not reported for work yesterday and today, Shellabarger said today: "The jobs are open and those that want to come back may do so until we fill When asked about Parker, Miss Ryan and Shaughnessy, Shellabarger said, "Apparently they have left us." Persons at WTVP familiar to Central Illinois viewers who still are reporting for work, according to Shellabarger, are: Al Pigg, farm director Loren Boatman, weatherman Max Bolen, weatherman Bob Shade, announcer Jim Crowell, news announcer. Concerning the lack of picture on the air last night, Shellabarger said todav: "It took some highly skilled technicians several hours to readjust the transmitter after the engineers walked out." Among those who helped get the station back on the air were M. D. Hunnicutt chief engineer for Station WCIA, channel 3, Champaign; the chief engineer and his assistant from Station WICS, channel 20, Springfield, and Kirk Salisburg of Dage Laboratories, Decatur. Shellabarger also reported that engineering help was offered from Radio Stations WSOY and WDZ, Decatur; WMAY, Springfield; WBLN, Bloomington, and WRAY Princeton, Ind.

These offers, he added, were gratefully received but turned down because WTVP officials felt that they should only use engineers experienced in television. Shellabarger also emphasized today that the employe difficulties at the station had nothing to do with any union nor with any union activities. Shellabarger reported that the station had been besieged by calls from viewers since 2 p. m. yesterday ween the station did not appear on the air.

He estimated there were 500 calls an hour. Cowgill Selling Stock, Plans Are Indefinite Harold G. Cowgill, former general manager of Station WTVP, announced today that he would sell his stock in the station. Cowgill was one of three top executives at the station who resigned yesterday in a dispute over policy. Cowgill says he owns about 5 per cent of the stock in Prairie Television, which owns WTVP.

He added that his plans for the future were not definite. FOG IN LAKE AREA MAKE DRIVING DANGEROUS Typical of what auto, drivers are finding in Lake Decatur bridge areas at many hours of the day these days is this view taken yesterday. It shows fog hanging over Nelson Park Bridge and was taken from the east approach. Engineering Water Search Approved The City Council today voted to approve proposals made by engineering firm of Warren Van Praag for supervising exploration and construction of a well-water addition to the city's water supply. The company's proposal set forth terms for having test wells drilled, and, if the tests are successful, the terms under which the firm will supervise construction of a permanent installation.

The Council's action today was preliminary; the ordinance accepting the proposals must lie over a week before another vote makes it final. The Council, in an informal session after the Council meeting, approved a suggestion by Vail H. Moore of the Warren Van Praag firm that the Layne Western Company be employed to do the actual drilling. A representative of the company quoted the prices for drilling to the councilmen. The Van Praag firm's terms for Blood Donors Meeting Quota There were 244 persons signed up to give blood today as the Red Cross bloodmobile opened its second day of its January visit.

The bloodmobile will be open at the YMCA until 5:30 p. m. Donors may "walk in" without appointments. Yesterday a record number of walk-in donors helped the bloodmobile top its goal of 250 pints. John Kilborn, recruitment chairman, said 358 donors, 116 of them walk-ins, visited the bloodmobile and gave 315 pints of blood.

This was described as one of the best sessions of the bloodmobile since the local Red Cross joined the regional setup last February. Today's quota was again 250. Yesterday's donors included 99 who replaced blood for friends and relatives and 47 employes of the American Farmers Mutual lance Company. Seventy-four volunteer workers gave 246 hours of their time at yesIterday's session. Talk, Talk, Talk in 1953 Telephone Company Gives Statistics Decatur residents placed 000 long distance calls in 1953 and on an average business day 185,600 local calls were made.

These figures were released in a report made by L. L. Thomas, Decatur manager of the telephone company. The Bell Company payroll for was $1,147,914 and the area served by the local office gained 1,000 telephones and 7,843 miles of cable during the year. The number of phones in Deca- Crowd Gathers for School Charter Debate, Continue Friday DANGEROUS Staley buildings and smokestacks are in the right background.

(Herald and Review Photo) Gasoline Price Slides Again Independent gasoline service stations continued a "price war" today by lowering regular gasoline to 21.9 cents a gallon and ethyl to 23.9 cents. This was a two cent drop and major brand stations in Decatur countered by lowering their prices to 22.9 cents a gallon on regular and 27.9 cents for ethyl. Champaign independents are now selling regular gas for 19.9 cents a gallon. Carl L. Schroeder, plant superintendent for the Standard Oil Company in Decatur, said it is too early to tell whether the price cuts have brought in more business to local service stations.

P. A. Houser, district manager of Central Illinois for the Shell Oil Company, said he attributes the cuts to competition, nothing else. Rainfall Keeps Lake Steady Lake Decatur staved at 4.75 feet below the dam today after yesterday's sched-83-of-an-inch rain. The lake climbed to the 4.75-foot mark yesterday, a quarter inch gain from the day before.

Snow expected last night didn't arrive on schedule, but some snow flurries, freezing rain and colder weather were expected over Illinois tonight. tur in 1953 was 33,578 more than the number in operation in 1946. And Thomas predicts that there will be even more talk in 1954 with installation of more telephones and equipment. In charge of -the completing of more than 61 million long distance calls during the year was Mrs. Evelyn McElroy, chief operator, and the good record in keeping telephone troubles to a minimum was made by Wire Chief W.

L. Kramer and his workers, Thomas said. the Nov. 17 Herman ers for a schools and bond issue vote. Dorn said the petitionreferendum want good buildings at a fair, decent price.

The School Board Size Question Petitioners said the present threemember school board is too small. De Witt said three members don't have either the time or the cumulative judgment to handle the job, and a seven-member board would better suit the size of the task. Harris pointed out that the city was only about a tenth its present size when the charter was granted in 1865. He wouldn't care to have stock in a business with a 3.8-million-a-year budget, a 7-million-dollar building fund, and a three-man board of directors. Supt.

Grant testified that a sevenman. community unit board could have only four members from Decatur Township, where 95 to 99 per cent of the people live. Such a board wouldn't be representative, would develop "sectional differences" and make property purchases "political footballs," Grant warned. Professor V. F.

Dawald of Millikin University said the "quality, perience and public interest of a school board is more important than its size. Giving up the charter to get a bigger board would be a poor bargain," 'he said. Board Action On Airport To Be Today The Decatur Park Board is scheduled to take official action tonight on its decision to look for another airport operator when Kenneth Ringel's contract expires April 30. The regular meeting of the board will be at 7:30 p. m.

in the Decatur Club. Official action also will be taken to throw the restaurant operation in the Ozark Airlines terminal building open for bids from other operators. Official notification has gone to Ringel and to Restaurant Operators Mr. and Mrs. John Sullivan that their contracts would not be renewed.

The Park Board feels it has not been getting the profit it should out of airport operation. The airport is self-supporting principally because of crops grown around it. The Park District gets $6,000 or $7,000 annually as its share of the farm profits. Efforts also were made last fall to increase charges to Ozark Airlines in order to get more revenue through that source. These efforts were dropped temporarily while Ozark is awaiting the decision of the Civil Aeronautics Board on its license renewal and extension applications.

After its official action tonight the Park District will begin a serious search for new operators for the two airport enterprises. Mrs. Doyle Dies at 58 Mrs. Mary Finn Doyle, wife of Howard L. Dovle, prominent Decatur attorney, died at 10:30 P.

m. yesterday in St. Mary's Hospital where she had been a patient several months. Mrs. Doyle, 58, lived at 1811 Main St.

She was born in Decatur Nov. 7, 1895, a daughter of Patrick W. and Nellie Leahy Finn. She attended Sacred Heart Academy in Springfield, was a graduate of Millikin University and took special work at Columbia University, New York City. She was a member of St.

Patrick's Church, Pi Beta Phi Sorority, American Association of University Women, St. Agnes Court of the Catholic Daughters of America and in 1948 was president of the board of the Decatur Day Nursery. She leaves her husband and two children, Patrick and Katharine. The body is at the J. J.

Moran Sons Funeral Home where friends may call after 7 p. m. today. Solemn requiem high mass will be at 9:30 a. m.

Saturday in St. Patrick's Church with burial in Calvary Cemetery. St. Agnes Court of the Catholic Daughters of America will recite the rosary at the funeral home at 7:30 P. m.

Friday and the Altar Society of St. Patrick's Church will recite the rosary at 8 p. m. Friday. ASKS PROBATION Ansil L.

Smith, 49, of 1010 Lincoln Dr. pleaded guilty today in County Court to a charge of driving while under the influence of liquor land made application for probation. The Legal Difficulties Question Dr. David Loewen of the Medi- cal Society's executive committee said "great fear" that the special charter vs. community unit controversy might upset the new building program was a big factor in the committee's support for keeping the charter.

Henninger too saw a threat to the building program in the dispute. New schools should come first, he thought. Mack Ray, business agent of the Teamsters Union, said he spoke for organized labor and labor didn't want to see the building program tied up. Most people aren't interested in school problems, he said, and the small group of petitioners didn't represent the people of Decatur. "Shall we jeopardize our building program and delay construction while we waste time on elections?" Ray asked.

Grant said attorneys think the 7- million bond issue would still be legal if the district changed to a community unit, but the bond buy-, ers would be "chilled" by the upset and the bonds would have to be validated by. a declaratory judgment court decree. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages and disadvantages of the proposed change with respect to Jail Garb Ordered. Changed in Trial On Fraud Charge County Judge Rodney Scott of Sullivan, presiding today in the Macon County Court, ordered a recess and directed a sheriff deputy to return a defendant to the county jail for a change from prisoner garb to his regular clothing. William Fleming, Decatur, was brought into court wearing jail coveralls.

James Lewis, defense lawyer, objected and was sustained. After a brief recess, Fleming returned, wearing a neat brown suit, a checked sports shirt, maroon socks and polished tan shoes. Selection of a jury proceeded for trial of Fleming on a charge of defrauding the St. Nicholas Hotel through cashing a $25 check on Nov. 14.

Kossieck Asks Zoning Change For Third Time For the third time in less than a year, Realtor Frank Kossieck asked the City, Council for a zoning change which would allow construction of a warehouse on two lots at the northwest corner of North Dunham and West Cerro Gordo Streets. The Council today received a petition from Kossieck requesting that the property be changed from two-family to light industrial industrial zoning. On June il, last year, the Council refused a similar request by a 3-2 vote. On Nov. 27, the Council denied a request by Kossieck for a zoning variance which would have permitted construction of the warehouse.

The Council has held that a warehouse would not conform to the general character of the neighborhood. Kossieck has argued that the lots are unsuitable for residential use and zoning restrictions deny him reasonable use of his property. Health Unit Is Discussed Miss Marjorie Scaife, R. of Shelbyville, acting director of the Shelby-Effingham County health unit, yesterday detailed operations a county health unit for members of the Association of Commerce public health committee. The committee is studying possible gains of consolidating efforts of many public health agencies here in one county-wide health unit.

Miss Scaife said unified health service is the big advantage of the plan, adopted by Shelby and Effingham Counties on a joint basis about six years ago. Unified service helped in the emergency created by the Effingham hospital fire, Miss Scaife said, and improves care of maternity cases, home nursing and school health training cooperation. Dr. D. F.

Loewen also reported to the group on a meeting of county and township officials on sanitation and garbage disposal problems. He said a service charge can be passed by ordinance to finance public garbage disposal service, which would be more effective and cheaper. district boundaries and buying school grounds were also cited. DeWitt saw no objection to having frequent referendums for approving, be school land "democratic" buying. he It more thought.

Dorn didn't think the school board should be allowed to buy property without a referendum, as it does under the present charter and could under the community unit if voters gave the board that power. Grant saw the property buying power as an advantage, a moneysaver. He also thought school district boundaries should follow the city's. Allan called it "community unity." Professor J. W.

Carrington of Illinois State Normal University said community unit organization really wasn't intended for large cities, but rather for consolidating small rural districts. DeWitt said he didn't know the Dr. special Dorn described any it as "a toothcharter had advantages. less old hag" outmoded by amendments, no longer worth keeping. Professors Carrington and Dawald praised the reputation of Decatur schools.

Any problems which exlist under the special charter would still exist under a community unit system, Carrington observed. People and ideals are the stuff that good school administration is made of, he said, not the type of organization they use. Chapman Trial Setting Waits Formal Order MRS. OUTLOW HIT BY CAR AT MAIN, PRAIRIE Mrs. Louise Outlow, 53, of 639 Jackson was injured at 6:50 a.

m. today, when she was hit by a car driven by Dorothy White, 27, of 1501 Ravina Park Rd. Mrs. Outlow was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in a Dawson Wikoff In the hospital at noon, her condition was reported as fair.

The accident occurred at Main Street and Prairie Avenue. Mrs. White told police Mrs. Outlow got out of a parked automobile a and ran into the street in front of the White car. MRS.

CAREY DIES Lovington Native Once Was Eastern Star Home Superintendent Mrs. Myrtle Ethel Carey, 76, of 2001 N. 27th died at 12:30 a. today in Decatur and Macon County Hospital where she had been a patient since Dec. 31.

Mrs. Carey and her husband Mrs. Myrtle Carey operated a grocery on North 27th Street at their home. She had lived in Decatur 18 years, coming here from Mt. Zion.

From 1927 to 1934 she was Superintendent of the Eastern Star Home in Macon. She was a member of the Lovington Methodist Church and the Vivian Chapter, Order of Eastern Star. Mrs. Carey was born in Lovington Nov. 4, 1877, a daughter of Thomas C.

and Sarah Overstreet Kearney and was married Oct. 29, 1911 to Louis Carey in Lovington. She leaves her husband, two sons, William K. Carey, Decatur fireman; and Korwin Carey, Macon County sheriff; a sister, Mrs. Grace Atchison, Decatur; a brother, Otis B.

Kearney, Decatur, and two grandchildren. The body is at the Brintlinger Funeral Home where friends may call after 2 P. m. Friday. Funeral services will be at 1 p.

m. Saturday in the funeral home with burial in Macon County Memorial Park. Army Mothers to Funeral Army. Mothers Decatur post 1 will meet at 11 a. m.

Friday at the Moran and Sons Funeral Home for the funeral of Mrs. Martha J. Williams. Ernest to Study Before Decision A standing-room-only crowd interested citizens, attorneys and school authorities yesterday heard special charter vs. community unit issue argued before County Supt.

Robert B. Ernest. Ernest recessed the hearing 10 a. m. Friday after a long, tiring, and sometimes heated session.

He said today he wouldn't decide the issue for a week or 10 davs after that. "I don't like to delay, but evidence is rather bulky and I want to study it carefully," he explained. If Friday's hearing follows yesterday's pattern, the evidence will deed be bulky. The immediate question is whether Ernest should call a referendum on the issue, but the argument yesterday largely ranged over relative merits of special charter and community unit school organization. Even these points were frequently buried in dispute over how well or how badly the special charterand the three-member Board of Education administering it -have served Decatur.

The Annexation Question Annexation of A. E. Staley Mfg. Company property to Decatur and the Decatur School District several months ago became a bone of conI tention in yesterday's hearing. the test drilling is cost-plus-50-per cent.

The 50 per cent will not be applied to transportation and incidental expenses such as telephone calls. The engineering company offers two choices "in the event the city is successful in locating a suitable supplemental underground source of supply and elects to develop producing They are cost-plus-50-per-centplus $3,000, or "at the usual and customary percentage fees as recommended by the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, varying according to the size of the construction project." The Layne Western Company's charges for test drilling, as quoted to the Council, are: $2.50 a foot for drilling; $3 a foot for reaming and enlarging the hole if it is to become a permanent well; $1.25 a foot for installation of casing and screen; $175 for installing a pump, and $10 an hour for pumping during tests. Skip Field Trip Builders attending a University of Illinois Small Homes Council short course todav cancelled a uled visit to the Belmont Court project here, Cold weather and other things interferred with the planned field trip for builders to see how the panel construction method developed by the of I works on the project, first to use the method. industry that "logically belongs" to Decatur. The School Building Question Architect Lyle V.

DeWitt assailed Decatur school building programs, which he said are inadequate, too costly, and too slow. Schools cost twice as much as they should, he said. "The buildings are constructed as a monument to the school board rather than for educational purposes," De Witt said. Cheaper buildings would serve better and not outlive their usefulness. De Witt said Southeast School cost $25 a square foot to build and Hess, Grant and Oak Grove Schools $18.70.

Attorney Ralph J. Monroe disputed DeWitt's figures. The schools cost $17 and $14 a foot, he Decatur School Supt. Lester J. Grant said the cost figures are available for public inspection, but he wouldn't try to cite them from memory.

Monroe said a vear's delay in completing Hess, Grant and Oak Grove Schools was the contractor's fault and the contractor paid a penalty for it under terms of the contract. Dr. Carl Birk said some Macon County Medical Society members don't favor keeping the special school charter and recalled that he detailed "terrible waste" in school building at a society meeting before A second insanity trial in the Macon County Circuit Court for Curtis Chapman, 21, White Hall, under death sentence for murder, will not be set until a formal direction is received from the Illinois Supreme Court, it was said in the office of Circuit Clerk Harry R. Butt. In reversing the Circuit Court verdict holding Chapman to be sane, the Supreme Court apparently opened a new field for testing the sanity of the condemned slayer of Howard Heininger of jerseyville in a hitchhike holdup in Greene County in 1949.

The sanity trial came to Macon County under a change of venue. The lower court verdict of November, 1951, was reversed because the Supreme Court found that Circuit Judge Charles E. Keller of Champaign erred in rejecting testimony on a theory that Chapman might be considered insane because of his association with an insane companion in the murder. Prior to the Chapman hearing, Carson Seger, 22, of Alton, who also had been sentenced to death for the murder, was found insane by a Macon County jury a and escaped the electric chair until such time as he is ruled sane in a court action. Seger is in a hospital at the Menard penitentiary.

Emerson Baetz of East St. Louis, one of Chapman's attorneys, sought to show from the time the two youths first met in an Alton schoolyard, when Chapman was nine and Seger was 10, Chapman was dominated by Seger, who was larger, older, and had a more alert mind. Baetz admitted he could offer no legal authority that such evidence was competent, but asked, "doesn't it reflect upon the mental condition of a youth, when he accepts and follows another youth, who is insane?" In the absence of authority supporting the Baetz theory, Judge Keller rejected it, and it was on that point that the Supreme Court reversed the verdict. During Chapman's fight over more than four years to escape the electric chair, 15 stays of execution have been issued. The last stay was for an indefinite time, apparently assuring that he need worry no more about an execution date until a final disposition of his case.

MRS. SARAH HURD, 85, DIES IN SPRINGFIELD Mrs. Sarah Hurd, 85, who came here eight years ago from Niles, to make her home with her daughter, Mrs. Andrew Owens, 581 S. Main died at 10:45 p.

m. yesterday in Carver Convalescent Home, Springfield. Mrs. Hurd had been in poor health since coming to Decatur. She was born in Metropolis, Jan.

7, 1869, the daughter of Eli and Rachel McGinnis, and was married to the Rev. F. G. Hurd. He died in April, 1938.

In addition to Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Hurd leaves a son, Arnett, Philadelphia; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was a member of St. Peter's AME Church and was active in Eastern Star activities in Niles.

The body is in the J. J. Moran Sons Funeral Home, where friends may call after 4 p. m. Saturday until 11 a.

m. Monday, and from noon Monday until funeral services at 1:30 p. m. Monday in St. Peters Church.

Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery. K. V. Henninger, superintendent of the Lakeview Community Unit District, recalled the Staley annexaof tion, which cost his district about a fourth of its total tax income. the He said "a quirk" in Decatur's special charter gives it other districts' territory coming into the city of Decatur.

till "Residents of the Lakeview district want to keep their schools," Henninger said, "and this annexation feature will be a thorn in the side of any movement to advance the the city limits toward the east." Henninger said he wanted to get that point in the record, but if he were voting in Decatur he would invote to keep the special charter. Later he explained that a change now would upset the bond issue and a seven-man board and annexation reform could be had by other means. Ted Harris, head of Engineering Service Corporation, said automatic annexation under the charter is "arbitrary rule," and annexations can be made for tax gains without regard for the educational welfare of children. Supt. Ernest thought the automatic annexation feature of the charter could be called "legalized stealing" for want of a better term, but Edgar Allen rejected the description.

The Lakeview unit, Allen suggested, was organized on an "artifiIcial basis" with an eye to taxable MRS. SHELLEBARGER, 72, DIES IN HOSPITAL TODAY Mrs. Margaret Shellebarger, 72, of N. Broadway, died at 10:45 a. m.

today in St. Hospital. She was born in Charleston, May 22, 1881, a daughter of John and Susan Newton Calhoun and was married to Rolla A. Shellebarger May 17, 1909. Mrs.

Shellebarger came to Decatur from Mattoon in 1926. She was a member of the Church of the Brethren. She leaves her husband, five sons, G. C. Sowers, Kenneth Shellebarand Danny Shellebarger, Decager tur; Harry Shellebarger, Burlingame, and Jack Shellebarger, Reno, two daughters, Mrs.

Genevieve Forster, Decatur, and Mrs. Juanita Ward, Seaside, a sister, Mrs. Jeanette Ravenscraft, San Diego, and five grandThe body is at the Dawson koff Funeral Home. Arrangements are incomplete. Troop Parents Elect Parents of Boy Scout Troop 8, Post 8, have elected Walter E.

Griffin, president, and Mrs. June Marquand, secretary-treasurer, at recent meeting in the First Methodist Church. Carl Sheets is post adviser land J. F. Sweetnam is Scoutmaster..