The Key West citizen. [volume], September 24, 1954, Image 1

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

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Xoy West, Florida, has the
most equable climate in the
country, with an average
range oi only 14* Fahrenheit
VOL. LXXV No. 227
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LIONS CONTRIBUTE—Bob Youmans (lofi) add* up the figuret
as Lou Eisner (right) write* a check to the Emergency March
of Dimes from the Lions Club. Edelmiro Morales, Lions' presi
dent, watches the proceedings.—JKß Photo.
Lions Will Honor Rep. Papy
For Work To Save Keys Land
At last night’s Father and Son dinner of the Key West
Lions Club the members unanimously voted to honor
State Represenptative Bernie C. Papy, for the successful
conclusion of his efforts to have the ownership of the dis
puted toll district lands revert to Monroe County.
In accepting the motion, Lion -
President Morales stressed that
the club was definitely not partici
pating in local politics but was ex
pressing the thanks and admiration
of a civic organization to a public
official for his meritorious work on
behalf of his constituents.
Papy will be invited to be the
guest of honor by the Key West
Lions Club at theuf Ladies’ Night
Dinner, scheduled *iur October i.
Polio Contribution
The assembled Lion fathers and
sons furnished a very appropriate
badtground for the presentation of
the Lions’ contribution of $325 to
Bob Youmans, director of the Em
ergency March of Dimes campaign.
This was the amount realized from
the sale if polio brooms by the
Lions.
Special mention was made of
Lion Bill Herman’s son, Carl, who
sold $94.25 worth of these brooms
for the club.
In cooperation with the local
safety campaign, Corporal Howell
Gillett, Safety Education Officer
of the Department of Public Safe
ty of the Florida Highway Patrol,
addressed the meeting. The sin
cerity of his talk impressed all his
listeners.
Driver Training
The Lions went on record as be
ing in favor of driver training in
the Key West High School.
The Lions Club is the second
civic organization within two days
to take this step favoring the driv
er training program. The Jaycees
voted in favor of the proposal
Wednesday night. The Kiwanis club
has also indicated they will con
sider the highly recommended ve
hicle training measure during their
next director meeting.
Lion Louis Carbonell revealed
that through the cooperation of the
armed forces the expenses of the
annual Lions Charity Football
Game would be considerably less
than heretofore.
Lower Price
A lower single admission price
will be charged this year agd all
seats will be on a “first come”
basis. In anticipation of larger gate
receipts than before, the gate will
be divided three ways, one each
for the March of Dimes. Navy
Charity and Lions.
A committee of four, consisting
of Allen Hampton, Fred Miller,
Milton Appel, and Jimmy McMan
us were appointed to handle the
tickets for the game.
The members all wished Lion Ed
Tucker good luck and success, aft
er he announced this would be his
last chance to attend meetings in
Key West. He has been transferred
to Savannah. Georgia, where he
will manage the S. H. Kress store.
The meeting closed with loud,
■trong roars for Corporal Gillett
In his safety drive and Lion Ed
Tucker on his transfer.
INSULATION AGAINST
WINTER COLD at
Strunk Lumber.
ISO SIMONTON STREET
Near Weather Bureau
33)r HCea We&l (Eiifit
Polio Situation
Bright In County
While other sections of Flor
ida are having poiie troubles,
Dr. C. W. Morrison, county
health officer, noted today that
It has bean three weeks since
Poll* wm reported
Tha laet case was on Sopt.
3, making tha total for tha coun
ty 37 cases this year.
Up to this date last year,
35 cases had boon reported.
For all of 1953, there ware 54
cases. In September alone last
yaaar there ware 20 case*.
Man Admits
Jax Slaying
DELRAY BEACH GP — A hitch
hiker who got suspicious when he
saw a pistol was credited today
with causing the arrest of a North
Carolina man who has admitted
killing Mrs. Margaret Baynard, 48,
of Jacksonville.
Police Chief R. C. Croft said
Eugene Hayden of Miami turned
Joseph L. Ezell, 44, of Graham,
N. C. over to Delray Beach police
Wednesday night when he noticed
the man had a .45 automatic.
Ezell at the time, Croft said,
was fleeing from Jacksonville
where Mrs. Baynard’s bullet rid
dled body was found—about the
same time—in a clump of weeds
alongside a road.
Tells Of Drive
The police chief quoted the man
as saying he saw Mrs. Baynard
“about breakfast time” Wednes
day in a tavern and that she in
vited him for a ride in her car.
He said she saw he had a pistol
and asked him to take it along
as she might like to shoot it.
The police chief continued:
“Ezell said they took a drive, had
a misunderstanding, she slapped
him, he lost his temper and shot
her in the head and shoulder;
then dumped the body out and
drove back to get his own car.”
The woman’s husband, Joseph
S. Baynard, told police he woke
up about 7:15 a. m. Wednesday
and discovered his wife and car
missing but did not report it. The
car, bloodstained and with two bul
let holes in the front seat an door,
was found about 9 a. m.
The Local KIWANIS CLUB
Will Play the ER KI
WANIS CUT .a. . .
BENEFIi COMIC
SOFTBALL GAME
SATURDAY NIGHT AT 8:00
P.M. IN BAYVIEW PARK
The game promises to be one of
the most hilarious of the year.
Tickets are on sale from any
Kiwanis member. They can al
so be purchased at game time
Saturday night.
THE SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER IN THE U. S. A.
Safety Queen To
Be Crowned Sat.
The crowning of Key West's
Safety Queen by Mayor C. B.
Harvey will take place at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning at
the Strand and San Carlos
Theatres.
The coronation ceremonies
will be held jointly with the
awarding of prizes in the Safety
Essay Contest.
All eight candidates for
Safety Queen will be presented.
They are Olga Yglesia, Jo Ann
Johnson, Madeline Deßarcee,
lleana Fueyas, Dorothy Pinder,
Katherine Pratt, Fabiola Agais
see and Jane Begin.
Hearing In
Love Triangle
Case Recessed
Solicitor Seeks To
Show Young Golfer
Was Shot From Rear
LAKELAND MV- I The sensational
hearing for Dr. Dodge D. Mentzer,
charged with second degree mur
der in the slaying of his wife’s
young boy friend, was in indefinite
recess today to give the state time
to bring in expert FBI witnesses.
At issue is Dr. Mentzer’s testi
mony that all four shots were fired
while William E. Leigh Jr. was
facing him and that the fatal
wound was made at close range
after the 22-year-old golf star grap
pled with him.
County Solicitor Clifton Kelly
wants to show that the fatal bullet
was fired frohi a distance of sev
eral feet and at least one of the
lesser wounds was from a bullet
entering from the rear.
Death April 7
Leigh was killed at the Mentzer
heme here April 7 after 6
a. m. a few minutes after he and
Mrs. Elizabeth Mentzer, 38, re
turned after being out all night.
Dr. Mentzer, 40, testified he told
Leigh to leave several times, got
a pistol in the hope of frightening
Leigh into going, shot once away
from Leigh in warning arid then
twice at the young man’s legs. He
said Leigh then charged him, bent
him backward over a hassock and
the pistol went off while Leigh was
pulling at his wrists.
The physician said he previously
had warned Leigh to stay away
from his home or he would be
shot.
Doctor Testifies
Dr. Newton C. Ware testified in
his opinion all the bullets entered
from the front of the body and that
a dark mark around the fatal
stomach wound was a powder
burn, indicating the pistol was
within four inches of Leigh’s body
when it was fired.
Every attempt by the prosecutor
to refute this testimony ran into
defense objections, sustained by
Peace Justice J. Tom Watson, that
the solicitor’s witnesses were not
qualified to testify on these points.
Kelly had on hand an FBI report
covering some of these points but
the defense maintained it was in
conclusive and Kelly decided to
bring the FBI agents here in per
son rather than introduce the re
port as evidence.
Love Scene Described
Dr. Mentzer did not say whether
he ever believed anything was
really wrong in the relationship of
Leigh and his wife but when, last
Christmas, his wife sat in Leigh’s
lap and they began kissing, he
said he could tell they w'ere very
serious.
“I got mad with Billy then and
stayed mad until April 7—to the
extent that I never wanted to see
or have anything to do with him
again,” the witness said.
Although Mrs. Mentzer’s testi
mony Wednesday was taken with
press and public barred on a de
fense motion to protect the Ment-
I zer’s four minor children from pub
i licitv, there was no such secrecy
| when Dr. Mentzer testified.
1 William P. Tomasello, an attor
i ney for Mrs. Mentzer, told the
press this was regrettable, that
j “in fairness to the children the
, defense should have made the
same motion when Dr. Mentzer
| testified.”
For Sale! For Sale! For Salel
Complete Kitchen
Equipment for Restaurant
Including Stainless Steel Auto
matic dishwasher . . . Like new
TELEPHONE 2-7500
KEY WEST, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1954
JayCees Favor Siting Up Of
KWHS Driver Training Course
By BILL SPILLMAN
A resolution to go on record as
supporting a Key West High School
Driver Training program, was un
animously passed by members of
the Junior Chamber of Commerce
during their regular weekly meet
ing W ednesday night.
It was pointed out during the dis
cussion that the school superinten
dent and the school board had
been “thinking” about the driver
training subject for some time.
However, they have not as yet tak
en any action.
It was also revealed that the Jay
cees had backed the proposal a
bout three years ago. It was stat
ed that the organization had gone
to great lengths in obtaining in
structors and a training car, only
to have the proposal given a chil
ly reception by the “powers that
be” in the school directive system.
Football ''Chill"
The measure was compared to
the chill given to the local high
school football proposal before the
team became a reality.
It was also pointed out that, pre
viously, when the proposal was
made to the school superintendent,
he would have permitted it on an
after-school hour, voluntary basis
only.
Tile driver training resolution
passed by the local chamber is a
long the same line as the resolu
tion passed by the Florida summer
convention of Jaycees.
Conference Move
The summer conference had re
solved to request the state legis
lature to take legislative action to
make mandatory a driver training
program for all Florida high
schools.
The local Kiwanis club has the
measure under study and it if ex
pected that other civic clubs will
follow’ in the driver training pro
posal endorsement.
During routine business conduct
ed at the meeting, it was an* zue*
ced that the National Flying Farm
ers of America are planning on vi
siting Key West in their winter
flight-tour south. The flying organi
Report Ready
On Sanity Of
Ruby M’Collum
LIVE OAK if) —Two state ap
pointed psychiatrists are expected
to tell Circuit Court today that!
Ruby McCollum is insane, unable
to stand trial a second time for
the slaying of a white physician.
Frank Cannon, the Negro wom
an’s attorney, disclosed yesterday
he had a certified copy of the psy
chiatrists’ report and that they will
recommend that she be confined
in the state hospital.
State Atty. William Slaighter
said last night he had not seen
the report but understood it had
been filed. “It will be up to the
court to decide whether she is
legally insane,” he said .
Convicted In Dec.
Mrs. McCollum was convicted in
December 1952 of shooting Dr. C.
Leßov Adams to death in his office
Aug. 3, 1952, shortly after his nomi
nation to the state Senate. The
Florida Supreme Court granted her
anew trial.
Cannon said the psychiatrists
are William Ingram Jr. and W. H.
McCullagh, both of Jacksonville.
Cannon requested the sanity ex
amination at a hearing before the
trial judge Hal Adams (no relation
to Dr. Adams) on Aug. 30. He
said the woman “has been sick
continually” since her conviction
and that her mental condition had
deteriorated to such an extent that
she refuses to use a mattress and
lies on the bare springs of the
prison cot with a blanket wrapped
around her from head to foot.
First Called Sane
She was found sane at the time
of her first trial and sentenced
to death.
She testified she shot the doctor
in self defense when he tried to
force her to have intimate rela
i tions. She said she and Adams had
| been intimate several years and
he fathered one of her children.
The state contended the shooting
resulted from an argument over
a medical bill.
Ordering anew trial, the Su
preme Court ruled that Judge Ad
ams was in error in permitting
the jury to view the scene of the
slaying in the absence of the de
fendant and in not being with the
jury at all times evidence was
being placed before it.
zation had requested information
about Key West facilities.
Information Asked
A letter was read from a Navy
man stationed in Guantanamo. Cu
ba, in which he requested infor
mation about the Key W’est to Cu
ba ferry. He stated in the letter
that many Navy men stationed
there would now drive to and from
the Naval Station there.
It was also announced that Ber
nie C. Papy has offered his pro
perty for use as a Jaycee football
parking lot. Papy offered the land
that is across from the new Ho
ward Johnson restaurant. It was
stated that the only stipulation he
made was that he requested a
space be held for his car when he
came to the game.
Vote Registration
Deadline Oct. 2
Oct. 2 at noon is the deadline
for registration as a voter,
Sam Pinder, supervisor of re
gistration, said today.
To date, 40 new voters have
registered m the county, he
added.
Persons whose names have
been stricken from the rolls can
call or write to Pinder to have
their names restored to the
rolls, he said.
Attorneys
Cancel Meeting
Slated Today
BriiljEe District
j
Group's Decision
On Suit Is Cat^e
James McEwen, Hills
borough County state attorn
ey, and George Dayton,
State Road Department at
torney, will not meet with
the Overseas Road and Toll
Bridge District commission
ers today.
The attorneys had been sched
uled to meet with the commission- 1
ers at 5 p. m.
Anthony Demeritt, chairman of
the commission, said he had re
ceived the following telegram
from McEwen:
No Need For Trip
“In view of the commission’s de- 1
cision to abstain from road board
suit .ve shall not come down.”
McEwen and Dayton had asked j
the commission to join the road
board in a suit for an accounting ,
of a quarter of a million dollars (
which the road board says was ;
misspent.
Demeritt announced yesterday
that the commission had voted
unanimously not to join the suit.
The suit was filed by the two
attorneys September 14. Named as
defendants are:
Alonzo Cothron, a contractor. 1
Brooks Bateman, former gen
eral manager of the bridge dis
trict.
Fliyd Lamb, owner of a construc
tion company.
D. M. Andrew, former district
employe.
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BPW PANEL DISCUSSION Panelists at the meeting of the Business and Professional Womon's
Club on Wednesday night were (left to right), Joe Pinder, Miss Minnie-Porter Harris, Mrs. Mary
Lee Graham, William Freeman, Paul Sher and Harold Laubscher. The round table discussion was
on the topic, "Key West Offers You Sound Investments." (See story, Page 3).—Citizen Staff Photo,
Sybil.
Gay Ferry Fiesta
Plans Laid; Huge
Water Parade Set
Telephone Cos.
Pays $23,000
In City Taxes
Southern Bell Is
Monroe County's
Oiggest Taxpayer
Today Monroe County’s biggest
taxpayer paid their city taxes to
Archie Roberts, City fax Collec
tor, when Don Nichols, local man
ager of Southern Bell, presented
Roberts with a check in the amount
of $23,177.79 for his company’s per
sonal property and real estate
taxes.
Also a S4OO check was given for
Southern Bell’s Key West occupa
tional license for the year.
Nichols stated that the tele
phone company’s taxes for the
City of Key West and Monroe
County reach approximately $50,-
000 this year. He also said that
Southern Bell Company’s tax paid
to State, County and Municipalities
in Florida during 1954 will be ap
proximately $5,013,000.
State Development
Florida's economic develop
ment is reflected by the state in
vestment of the company when it
skyrocketed from 555.551,349 in
1954 to $216, 054.873 today.
Throughout the state, Southern
Bell is in the midst of a $41,000,000
expansion program this year. It is
intended for this effort to be du
plicated in 1955 in a concentrated
effort for the entire state to be
current on held applications and
requests for higher grades of ser
vice.
The expanding of telephone fa- 1
cilities for Key West and the Keys 1
is included in this mammoth dr-;
velopment program, Nichols add
ed.
Wages Increase
Employes and their wages are
up too, he said, from 4,423 em
ployes to 8,700 in the past eight
years, making $9,272,765 in 1945 to
making $29,077,685 in 1953. The
average telephone employe is
making twice today what he was
making in 1945.
Wages have increased 53 per
cent.
Nichols said also that increased
taxes plus increased labor costs
plus a fabulous expansion program
has added up in the past several
years to a 32 per cent increase in
telephone rates while during this
same period the cost of living has
j increased mo r e than 92 per cent.
STORM REPORTED
MANILA W-A tropical storm
battered the rojky Batanes islands
in the northern Philippines wi*h
65-mile-an-hour winds today, the
1 Weather Bureau said.
I Festive Atmosphere To Mark
Sailing Of City Of Key West’
I
Hnal planning was completed last night for a two
-I*y te [ ry fista ” —a celebration to mark the maiden
iu._ o the C ity of Key VY eat,” which promises to be th
largest such affair in many years.
Mayor C. B. Harvey presided at the planning meet
ing at which time final plans were laid for the fiesta,
scheduled to start next Friday.
fiesta Schedule
Her* it the official schedule
for the two-day fiasta marking
♦ha maiden run of tho "City of
Key West" between here and
Cardanas Cuba:
Friday, Octobar 1
4p. m. Fish fry and opan
house aboard ship at dock, Du
val St.
Bp. m. Tom Mooro's "Truo
or Falsa" radio show at Kay
West Kennal Club.
Kennel Club.
Kennel Coub.
Saturday, Octobar 2
8 a. m. Motorcade down
Duval Streot to forry terminal.
8:15 a. m. Addresses by
dignitaries at dock.
9 a. m. Historic sailing of
ferry, accompanied by wafer
parade of small craft.
All of the events are opan to
the public.
Volunteers Asked
For Ferry Fiesta
j. All Key West boatmen are asked
i to participate in the huge water
parade to mark the initial sailing
of the Key West - Cuba ferry Oct.
2
Those able are asked to phone
| Captain Jakie Key (2-2488) or Cap
tain Johnny West (2-5728).
A meeting of all taking part will
be held at 8 p. m. Wednesday at
i Coast Guard Headquarters, Front
St.
And a plea is also out for re
presentatives of all women’s or
ganizations to act. as hostesses for
the open house aboard the ship,
Oct. 1. Volunteers should phone
Mrs. Ethel Seigel, 2-3433.
GABLE GOES FOR
PHYSICAL CHECK
HOLLYWOOD Clark Gable
was admitted to Cedars of Lebanon
Hospital yesterday for what a hos
pital spokesman describes as a
physical checkup.
The 53*year-old film star is in
good condition the night supervisor
of the nursing office said today.
“He’s just here for a few tests
; and a general checkup,” she added,
“like any other patient.”
Quick Communication,
CLASSIFIED Ads! You'll
r T#ach buyers and sellers—
'tenants or workers . . . Just
J)IAL 2-5661 or 2-5662 Today
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Activities will begin with
a giant fish fry and open
house aboard the ship at ita
Duval Street pier, and wind
up at 9 a. m. Saturday when
the vessel leaves the Key
W est harbor bound on ita
maiden voyage.
Louis Carbonell, general
manager of the Kennel Club
offered the use of the Stock
Island racing plant.
Sandwiched between those events
will be a broadcast of Tom Moore’s
radio quiz program, “True or
False” direct from the Key West
Kennel Club, a gala Ferry Fiesta
BaU, also set for the Kennel Club,
a motorcade on the morning of tht
sailing and addresses by local and
visiting dignitaries just prior to tht
sailing of the ship on ita maiden
run. *
Escort Sot
The ship will be escorted to the
sea buoy by a flotilla of small
craft, including Navy vessels, char
ter and pleasure craft and mem
bers of the Key West Outboard
Club.
Lt. John Hayes, commanding of
ficerof the local Coast Guard sta
tion is in overall charge of tht
flotilla, while Captain Jakie Key
and Captain John West will serve
as Commodores.
Indications are that *he Cuban
navy will furnish an escort for tht
ship to Cuba
Parade Plans
Louis Carbonell, in charge of dec
orations and the motorcade said
that the parade will form at 7:45
a. m. Saturday at Duval and South
Sts. and will proceed at 8 a. m.
down Duval St. to the dock.
He urged all local organizations
to join the motorcade.
Carbonell also pointed out that
local merchants are cooperating
magnificently by decorating their
places of business.
Hastassas Ta Sarva
Local women will serve as host
esses aboard the vessel during tha
open house. They will wear rib
bons with the inscription: “Ask
Me, I Live Here.”
Meanwhile, Ray Knopp and Cap
tain West, co-chairman of the fish
fry committee have reported that
planning is nearly complete for
“the world's biggest fish try.”
They have succeeded in obtain
ing 500 pounds of shrimp, along
with a quantity of other food stuffs
and soft drinks.
BATISTA SEEMS
SURE OF VOTE
HAVANA, Cuba W President
Fulgencio Batista appeared beaded
today for reelection by default in
the Nov. 1 presidential elections.
Batista’s only opponent, former
President Ramon Grau San Martin,
announced last night he would
withdraw because bis Cuban Revo
lutionary party bad been refused
equal representation on election
committees with Batista’s four
party coalition.
SAN CARLOS
THEATRE
LAST TIMES TODAY
MARCIANO
vs. CHARLES
Complete
ALL t ROUNDS OF THE
FIGHT ARE SHOWN
With Knockdowns
In Slow Motion