The Key West citizen. [volume], June 29, 1953, Image 1

About The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current

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Key West, Florida, has the
[most equable climate in the
[ country, with ah average
grange of only 14° Fahrenheit
N. Y. Trip Nets Reporter
A Talk With Ex-President
May Yet Make
Trip To K.W. ,
Says Truman
NEW YORK (AP) A
Key West, Fla., newspaper
reporter bumped into an old
assignment on her first day
•fa two-week vacation in
New York City Sunday.
Mrs- Susan McAvoy, 36,
went to the river club for a
swim and breakfast after ar
riving at La Guardia Air
port.
, She was still wearing a
bathing suit when former
President Harry S. Truman
puid his family were assigned
|o a table nearby..
\ was more excited than
|Ha waiters/' said iMrt. Me-
At a reporter for the Key
?West Citizen, she had cover
ed Truman's vacation visits
to the Key West Naval Sta
tion during his years as Pres
ident.
Mrs. McAvoy said Truman
ftold her:
<4 Well, Susan, I’m not giv
* tng up Key West. You can
tell the folks there that.”
The former President,
who lives at Independence,
Mo., did not elaborate. He is
pow visiting his daughter,
Margaret, in New York.
Three Injured
In 3-Car Crash
Near Boca Chica
Three persons were injured, none
Of them seriously, as the result of
a three car crash near Boca Chica
Sunday, it was reported today by
the Sheriff's Office.
According to the report of Dep
uty Sheriff Serge Hernandez, a
car driven by Norman Burroughs
of the USS Gilmore, was travelling
south on the Overseas Highway,
when he attempted to pass another
vehicle operated by Lt. A. J. Str
aub of the Navy Al r W School here.
Burroughs was unable to pass the
car and he attempted to get back
into the line of traffic when he
struck the rear of Straub's vehicle.
The impact threw him into the cen
ter of the road where he was
•truck by another car which was
travelling north.
The car was driven by H. L. Keid
of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania. The
Impact threw Retd's car into the
ditch.
Burroughs was taken to the Nav
tContinued on Page Two)
Appointment Fold
CHICAGO -m ~ John S. Knight
•odav announced the appointment
of James B Canei to be general
hurt o( tut \m . mwm
Prej ■> Asswiasioa, *:th headquar
ters in New York
Knight. editor anJ publisher of
the Chicago Daily News and
Knight Newspapers, u president and
the lAPA.
Canei. a native of Montevideo.
Uruguay, has had extensive exper
ience ta newspaper work in United
States and Latin America. Since
mi he has bet n in the Latin
American department of the United
fma.
Kea
THE SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER THE |.S.A.
VOL. LXXIV No. 154
Rash Of Traffic Accidents
Keep Police Busy Sunday
Trevor Assumes
Rotary Post
First Of July
Will Head One
Of Three Florida
Rotary Districts
Edwin F. Trevor, president of
the Columbia Laundry and Dry
Cleaners takes office July 1 as
Governor of District 243 of Rotary
International, world-wide service
club organization. Elected at the
recent Rotary Convention in Paris,
France, he will supervise the ser
vice activities of 31 Rotary Clubs
in Florida throughout the 1953-54
fiscal year. His is one of three Ro
tary District in Florida.
Mr. Trevor, e Director of tho
Florida State Chamber of Com
merce, has been Chairmen of
the Red Cross Chapter, Presi
dent of tho Chembor of Com
merce end City Manager of Key
West. He is e member end Pest
President of tho Rotary Club ef
Key West.
The continually growing Rotary
organization now encompasses 8
countries of the world. The 372,000
business and professional execu
tives who are members of 7,800
Rotary Clubs work together to ad
vance the Rotary program of com
munity-betterment activities, high
er standards in business and pro
fessional life, and the furtherance
of international under satndlng,
good will and peace.
To promote international under
standing, Rotary International is
now engaged in a world wide pro
gram of Rotary Foundation Fellow
ships, which provide grants of one
year of study abroad as ambassa
dors of good will, to outstanding
college graduates. In the past sev
en years, Rotary Fellowships have
been awarded to 493 young men
and women from 55 countries.
Grants range from SI,BOO to $3,400
and total more than $1,250,000.
Man Hospitalized
After Knife Fight
Shrimp boat wrorker Robert Lee
Putnam, 35, 920 Pauline Lane is
hospitalized as the result of a
knife fight which happened at mid
night Sunday at his home. Putnam
sustained two puncture wounds in
his left forearm and a fractured
femur bone in the left arm.
George Thomas. 28. who lives at j
the same address, was treated for j
a two inch knife incision in his;
left hand then released from Mon- ]
roe General Hospital and jailed, j
Jennie E. Putnam, wife of the j
shrimper, was arrested at the time
of the fight for being drunk and
disorderly.
Three police officers answered
the call to the scene. At 1:10 a. m.
Lt. Eugene Hernandez took both
fighters to the hospital.
Putnam is employed on the
shrimp boat "Star of the Sea,"
captained by George Hall.
I)ri\ er Charged
On Three Counts
Three counts will be brought
I asanst George Wimbush. roofer.
| who lives at 100 Olivia Street as
the result of an accident Saturday
afternoon a: 5.30 p m Wimbuih
--aid to be driving while intoxicated,
mi i win i iwu w uu
he- was going east on Eaton Street
ami side swiped a car coming is
the opposite direction.
The second car. drives by Marv
Ellen kflly, 19 year old student of
l <SI3 Francis Street, was damaged
to the tune of l!30. Mus Kelly u
also charged with reckless driving
and having an accident.
N imbuih. ia iidditjoa to the driv
ing while intoxicated count, was
charred with reckless driving and
j cauauig en accident.
• Sunday afternoon brought a rash
of traffic accidents and kept the
police department busy investigat
ing them from shortly before 3
p. m. through 8:30 Sunday even
ing. Total score was five mishaps.
Tho first cam# at 2:55 p. m. at
Southard and Duval stroots whan
Em motto A. Kooso, 449V* a Navy
man crossed on tho caution light,
going oast on Southard, and was
struck by a car also moving on
tho caution light. Tho second
car was a taxi driven by Mario
N. Garcia 411 Whitohoad
Stroot. Damage to his cab a
mountod to SSO. Kooso's car sus*
tainod $75 damage. Both parties
agreed to settle out of court.
Second collision was minor and
happened on County Beach Rqad
at 3:40 p. m. when William Dodge
of 1417 Ashe Street backed out of
a stand and into a car driven by
George W. Stokes, Navy, of 28-C
Arthur Sawyer Road.
Later Sunday aftarnoon, Stan
ley Connor's parked Cadillac
was damaged to tho extent of
$l5O when o city scavonogor
truck backed out of a driveway
across tho way from 1310 Cath
erine Stroot and smashed into
tho right roar window and right
side of tho Cadillac's top.
Truck driver Richard E. Free
man drove off without stopping
after the crash. Freeman returned
to the scene later and said he had
not heard the crash and so left
the scene of the accident. He was
charged with reckless driving and
having an accident. The case will
be heard in. Municipal Court today
at 3 p. m.
Connor is stationed with ZX-11,
NAS, Boca Chica.
Final Sunday accident came at
8:30 p. m. when William Samuel
Roberts, driver of a milk truck
going east on Virginia Street
(Continued On Page Tvm)
Ammunition Lack
Blamed In Death
ALLENTOWN. Pa. <JV-The par
ents of an Allentown soldier killed
in action in Korea June 19 said
today they believe his unit faced an
enemy assault without ammunition.
Two days before he was killed
21-year-old Pvt. Keneth Lease
Jr., wrote his parents:
"Well, the truce talks are still
going on. It looks good, but not
good enough. They must expect it
to be over soon because they took
all of our ammo yesterday."
The letter arrived only several
hours before a Defense Depart
ment telegram telling of the sol
dier's death in action.
The Leases gave photostats of
the letter to Rep. Karl C. King
(R-Pa). The congressman said he
will ask the Department of the
Army to make a complete inves
tigation.
Lease was in an Infantry com
pany in the 32nd Regiment of the
?th Division.
Party Ends In
Brawl, Illness
PEORIA. 111. U*—A June bride
started a fight with another guest
who ripped off her clothes. Then
she gaily cavorted au nature!. The
guest of honor went home sick from
over-indulgence.
A disgraceful party? Depends on
the viewpoint.
It was Mike's birthday Sunday,
and Mike. 10. is s cocker spaniel.
He and his 25 guests were dogs
who attended or bad graduated
from a traimni! school where
Mike s mistress. Mrs. E. M. Ros
ser. is an instructor
The guest* came in costume—
a chihuahua as Taman, complete
with leopard skin; a German shrp
*• uni ' t-T nwim tioodi
grandmother; other* as a hula hala
girt— ye* • grass skirt: a French
chef, tfui s June Lruie
Like all birthday parties, there
mere nuts, kt erf*it itd calf to
i eat The guests, at the bidding of
their o*w. played games
And like most ba*th4ay parties,
there was a row. Tae bride started
it with a burly boxer He ripped
off all her clothes She seemed
happier without teem
i Mike* He got a tummy ache
from too much ce cream.
KEY WEST, FLORIDA, MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1953
Mayor Harvey Threatens Suit Against Drew
Pearson For Saying He Was At Stag Smoker
Sunday Outing Ends In Tragedy
As Child Drowns Off Sand Key
Desperate Efforts
Of Father And
Friend Fail
To Save Child
A Sunday picnic ended in
tragedy yesterday when lit
tle Christine Lee Hancock,
five-year-old daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Blondel Han
cock, 524 Elizabeth Street,
was drowned near Sand Key
eight miles south of here.
Her father almost met the
same death as both he and
his daughter were swept out
to sea by a vicious undertow
while swimming in waist
deep water on the northwest
side of the key.
A desperate effort was made
by Chester Harris, e friend of tho
family, to roscuo both Hancock
and little Christine when he saw
them being sucked out into deep
water. He started swimming out
with e rope but tho line was too
short. He struggled beck to tho
beech end got the boat under,
way to roach the spot. Hancock,
still clutching hia daughter, went
down end Harris wertt after, -
of them.
Mrs. Hancock, aboard the outing
boat, was witness to the death of
her child and the near drowning
of her husband. This morning she
talked to a reporter with obvious
strain in her voice, telling of the
accident.
"There were seven of us on a
picnic. My daughter couldn’t swim
and my husband was carrying her
around in his arms. They were
playing a little way from the shore
and the boat. The water wasn't
very deep. Just to his waist," she
said, "but there was a strong un
dertow and the first thing we
knew, my husband and little girl
were being drawn under and car
ried away in the water. Mr. Har
ris goes fishing with my husband
a lot. He was in the swimming
party and he grabbed a rope and
started out after them. The rope
was too short. He had to swim
all the way back to the beach.
Then we got the boat and went
to the spot where my husband
was struggling.
The distraught mother wasn’t
sure how much time elapsed but
guessed it was at least ten or
fifteen minutes before the two
victims were brought out of the
water by Harris, who went after
them.
"Mr. Harris took the boat, and
1 gave Christine artificial res
piration ell the wey in." Mrs.
Hancock said, her voice break
ing. "It was too late. We were
•even miles out in the ocean.
My husband was In a coma
and when we got to the hos
pital. both he end the child
rtt given treatment. They
got the water out of him but
he was unconscious and he s at
his mother's homa now. still in
shock." the mother added. Han
cock’s mother is Mrs. Julia
Knight of Grinnell Street.
At Monroe Genera! Hospital,
both Dr. Fernandez and Dr Ralph
Hm worked to revive the tittle
girl but she was pronounced
dead.
Chester Harris, about 35. lives
iContmueo On Page Two)
Forced Entry At
VO. k Probed
The sheriff* office is invrstira
ting a break*®? and entr- inti* the
office of the Standard Oil office
which pfoKifct? ofturred ie
Saturday Bight Police who turned
the wmtifiDon ever to the sheriff
were called 19 39 yesterday mora
mi
Thet found Out s viator hid
been broken and footprint* left at
the stsot
Offu-ists are taking rave—nry to
see what loea was sustaiaed.
Appointment Of
City Manager To
Be Considered
Acting City Manager Charles
Roberts said this morning that
the City commission meeting to
day would bo chiefly concerned
with discussion end possible ep*
pointment of e City Manager.
Time for the meeting was not
definitely set.
Roberts told tho city fathers
last week that the deadline for
his acting as City Manager was
Wednesday, July 1.
Four out-of-town applications
have batn filad for tho job. Tho
local candidate is Capt. Ralph D.
Spalding who was temporary city
manager in 1948. Spalding has
said that he would bo willing to
servo in temporary capacity.
City commissioners have in
dicated that they would approve
temporary hiring of Spalding.
Retirement Is
Suggested Now
For Churchill
London Papers
Advise Prime
Minister To
Resign Post
LONDON, Oft—The surprise ill
ness of Prime Minister Churchill
aroused dismay in much of the
British press today and the pro-
Labor Daily Mirror urged Sir Win
ston to retire.
The 78 - year - old Conservative
leader was reported to have ac
cepted cheerfully the orders from
his medical advisers to take a com
plete rest for at least a month.
He and Lady Churchill were
luncheon hosts yesterday to their
son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and
Mrs. Christopher Soames, and Lord
Beaverbrook, publisher of the Dai
ly Express, at their estate near
Westerham. 25 miles southeast of
London. Soames said later:
“Sir Winston’s condition is not
such that it is likely either to de
teriorate or improve from day to
day. He is simply suffering from
general fatigue which probably is
more mental than physical.’’
The Daily Mirror, nominally* in
dependent but favoring the Labor
party's politics, dec'ared in a front
page editorial:
“He owes it to himself, to his
family and to the country to re
tire from the premiership. He may
then still be with us at 88, still
holding in our hearts a place of
affection he so nehly deserves
and still benefiting the world with
his counsels ’’
The London Time*, a supporter of
the Churchill government, said his
service to Britain "must now
come from his inccmoarabie ex
perience the sweep of his judg
ment and his flashes of vision, not
from detailed application, however
stimulating, to departmental af
fairs "
The libera! News Chronicle said
Churchill'* illness, on top of the
gall bladder operations that have
put Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden out of action, point up the
need of younger b’<d in the Tory
government
* Wf hope,” the New* t, hnwuclf
saifl. that the Prime M mister.
whom everybody . . reveres, will
rmrd this moment as offering a
rfeißff to drop some of hu
*** **> *"*
the younger generation it* head **
Of the it cabinet members, only
five are under 16 while three. -
clwimg Sir Wt&aiM, are In their
Si.
Acme direction of the govern
mead was taken <me*, meanwhile,
by R a Butler, the 30-?*r-aM
riuftreUftf of the ndwpwf He
(Continued Os Page Two.)
Dense Fog Is
Cause Of N.J.
Ship Collision
Casualties Not
Yet Known In
Crash Of Tanker
And Freighter
By JAMES F. TOMLINSON
BARNEGAT CITY, N. J. UR—A
big, seagoing oil tanker and a
freighter—groping through a cot
ton-thick fog—plowed into each
other 12 miles off tie New Jersey
Coast last night.
Sketchy reports from the crash
scene today listed one crewman
dead, two injured and 25 missing,
but it was possible none was miss
ing. Twenty-two others were saved
by rescue craft.
All were from the S. S. Loide
Panama, a 5,408-ton Brazilian
freighter, which the Coast Guard i
said was heeled over in a 50 degree
list and “in a sinking condition.”
The other vessel, the S. S. Gulf
trade, a 10,195-ton tanker owned
by the Gulf Oil Company, stood
off the hulk assisting in rescue
operations. No casualties were
reported aboard the Gulftrade al
though its bow was stoved in.
A score of Coast Guard boats,
including cutters and smaller res
cue craft, and lifeboats from the
Africa Endeavor, a merchant ship
which reached tne scene first,
criss-crossed the murky waters in
a hunt for survivors. A plane and
two helicopters droned overhead.
Even as they looked, a rumor
went around among the searchers
that the unaccounted for men still
were aboard the Panama.
A Coast Guard spokesman said,
“we haven’t been able to pin it
down yet. but indications are there
may well be something to the
report.”
He said language difficulties
prevented the rescuers from learn
ing from the Portuguese-speaking
Barzilians just what the situation
was.
The Endeavor, responding to a
frantic radio message, picked up
the 22 survivors.
The injured men, both Brazilians,
were brought here in a Coast
Guard picket boat at 1:15 a. m.
(ESTi, over five hours after the
collision. They were transferred
to ambulances and taken to the
Marine Hospital, Staten Island,
N. Y
The Coast Guard at Atlantic City.
20 miles south of here, said it
understood the missing 25 leaped
overboard In panic before life
boats were launched.
At least three men—the captain,
chief engineer nnd chief mate
stayed aboard the listing Loide
Panama.
The collision occurred around
8:30 p. m (EST) four miles south
east of Bamegat Lightship, eight
miles off the coast of Long Beach
Island, halfway down New Jersey’s
Atlantic coastline.
The Coast Guard said both ships
were headed north.
Chief Henry W. Goodwin, who
was aboard the picket boat that
landed here, said r. dx> messages
received from the Guiftrade said
the tanker hit the Panama amid
ship on the starboard side.
Officers ashore assumed the
(Continued On Page fnrt)
Car Abandons
After Accident
sut* Poitcf Wif ir eirrtisi
for the driver of an automobile
fumed overturned tbit morning on
Saddle Bunch Key. State Highway
Patrol mas Frank Cline announced
CLae ud that the driver of the
car apparently abandoned tt after
the accident which *n caused by
failure to negotiate a cum.
The softs, a I*3* Otdsmofcfle. bore
Dade County put**, Uiae Mid.
PRICE FIVE CEI
Miami Herald Also Faces Actiott For
Alleging He Sat In Bald-headed Row
By JIM COBB
Mayor C. B. Harvey today threatened to bring suiw
for libel against Drew Pearson, author of the widely syn
dicated column, Washington MerryGo-Round, after Pear
son named him as one of the spectators at a *‘stag show’*
held here on Feb. 2 in a Duval Street social club. Pearson
alleged that Harvey, along with other city fathers,* was
seated in the “bald headed row”at the first of two smok
ers.
Harvey joined at least four other local political and
civic leaders in denying that he was present at the show,
but apparently he is the only one who is taking action. The
affair has already resulted in the conviction of at least four
Navy men, one of whom was sentenced to a year In prison
and given a bad conduct discharge. The stag shows were
staged for the benefit of the Navy Charity Carnival.
Flood Recedes
From Stricken
Japanese Area
More Than 2,300
Are Dead As Result
Of Inundation
By Tha Associated Pross
TOKYO tfi A great flood that
left more than 2,500 persons dead,
missing or hurt and a million
homeless receded today on the
Southern Japan island of Kyushu
but dark ram clouws posed an omi
nous new threat.
Seven days of torrential rains
turned much of the northern part
of Kyushu—an area about the size
of New Jersey into a vast
lake. The hapless Japanese resi
dents fled to any high ground they
could find.
Police said several villages were
washed away and 350,000 homes
were destroyed or damaged.
Relief was rushed to countless
stricken villages and cities. The
U. S. Air Force dropped food and
clothing to isolated groups of ref
ugees scattered on islets of high
ground jutting from the flood.
Among those saved from the rag
ing streams were American sail
ors, soldiers and Marines and their
families. Some were taken from a
stalled train near Meji and housed
in the U. S. Army recreational fa
cilities at that Northern Kyushu
city.
Fukuoka, the island’s largest city
with 392,649 population and nearby
Moji, with 124,399, were almost
ghost cities; their testdenU evac
uated before the surging flood.
Some of the dead and missing
drowned in the swollen rivers. Oth
ers died as soaked, sliding earth
crushed their flimsy homes.
Thirty - seven Americans were
rescued Saturday from the A*o
w hich was’nearly buried by a land
slide.
The Americans, Including 29
servicemen, the wives of si* of
them and two cniidren, were
moved by hastily-rigged breeches
buoy across 40 feci of churning
flood water and taken to the U. S.
| Army’s Camp Wood for treatment,
food and dry clothing.
Three big Anem&a bases on
high ground have escaped daa
| age so far. The b s g cava! base at
(Continued on Page Two)
J Freak Mishap
Damages Lars
Freak three wav traffic accident
happened this montisK at la. re
on Southard Street near the Ma
rine sentry gate wfteo Guy Ben
(••Ct, 729 Truman Avenue. 22 year
oM fimvy man. applied bts brake*
iih iWMr] no i nr mil m
etooped te*i;ad a third ear.
The Impact hmtA • f*T drives
by Andrew A. Afweft. 2®. fireman
mho Uvea at 1991 Oil via Btreeti tom
(if torn by VW! J. E4w itA
■ who waa at to stopped near the
gate Edward wt Dm it 26 Ar
tbar Sawyer Road It a Navy man.
j B-.amrtt's car came erf the he**-
toft k*tr with damage to the
freed end of has Birb amounting
to nm
; Damage to fbe rear #otf of t %*
other cars t estimated at about
itSd rax*.
The Associated Press Teletype
Features and Photo Service*.
For 73 Years Devoted to the
Best Interests oi Key West
In a sharply worded statement
issued this morning, the Mayor
said that he would bring immediate
suit against Pearson and the Mi
ami Herald “if immediate retrac
tions are not forthcoming."
He denied that he was present
at the Feb. 2 smoker or at another
held a week later.
"The statement by Mr. Drew
Pearson that i was present at
either ef the smokers which heve
been the subject ef Inquiry by
the U.S. Navy ia entirely inac
curate and untrue end I heve de
manded en immediate retractien
from him and frem the Miami
Htrald," Mayer Harvey said te
day.
*T contacted him (Pearson) and
the Herald over the telephone last
night as soon as I heard* of the
statement and I informed them
both orally that {.demanded a re
tfaetion. dL attorney A wuu hand
ling the case," he eoatimied. To
day t statement was approved by
his attorney, J. ,Y .Porter, IV.
City Commissioner John Carbo
neli. who was also named as one
of the spectators at the show,
which has been described at the
• participation" type, also denied
emphatically that he was present.
"I was not there," Carbonel) said
curtly. County Judge Raymond R.
Lord, also named, is on vacation
and could not be reached today.
Both Police Chief Joseph Kemp
and former city manager Dave
King have admitted that they at
tended the first affair, but both
said that they left early and saw
nothing wrong with the show.
"I certainly did not see any
wrestling." Chief Kemp declared.
He was speaking of reports that
a female entertainer Incited mem
bers of the audience to mount the
stage and wrestle with her. The
talent for the show was reportedly
obtained from Mom’a Tea Room,
now defunct Stock Island brothel.
"I left right after the refreah
mfnts were served at the Feb. 2
smoker," Kemp said, He went on
Ito declare that be returned ex
hausted from a two-day trip to
| Tampa the night before the second
affair and was ,n bed sleeping at
the time
City Commissioner Jttk Delaney
today declared that be doesn’t
think the city "can ignore the •&-
j uation any longer."
"New that this thing ha* been
brought out bt the open in new*,
paper all ever the nation, I think
that seme action tt m order,**
Delaney declared. He went an to
say that he did ret knew |u*f
whet farm the action would take,
'•This is we to the city commie
sien," he stated,
Pearson also said that "Super
irtrodent of Schools Jack Goth*
m” was present. Today Huprri*.
trndent of Public Instruction Ho
race O'Bryatit identified Gutbrig
s* Gerald Guthrie, principal |
Sue Moore School In Ifaralhao.
Guthrie was prevent at the first
smoker, O Bryant *e<d. bet notbfef
lewd occurred ai that time.
"I wa-nt invited to either tt
them," O'Bryant coatineed.
Admiral Ir* a< T Oufco **t t*
(X,rtr<oa lnU*. H ye*.
Mitt (till* MI Mill
; trss*ltfT<l So 'V Partfie i* be-
| cause of the pooGcify resulting
from the stag shows
f He m>S that sis transfer wag
I ~rwt mt" *Ad mi he V
(C>jr.Uftue4 On Ptcr Td
Special! S pact elf
umsteb trap u mb r
I x 2 Orar Re**! (>lar, 3r ft*
STRUNK LUMBER
its SrMONTOW Beer BeaA
i