Evening star. [volume], January 31, 1949, Image 17

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WASHINGTON AND VICINITY
MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1949
County Attorney
Difficult to Find
In Montgomery
Experienced Lawyers
Hesitate to Trade
Fees for Fixed Pay
By John V. Horner
Finding a county attorney is
proving no easy task for the Mont
gomery County Council.
After weeks of study, a three
member committee is far from solv
ing one of the most perplexing
problems of the new government.
The committee is composed of
the council’s lawyer members
President Frederic P. Lee, former
Judge Thomas C. Kelley and Secre
tary J. Douglas Bradshaw.
Recommendations they eventually
make undoubtedly will be approved
by the entire council. But much
work remains to be done before a
report can be filed.
Charter Complicates Problem.
The Job is made difficult by a
charter stipulation that the county
attorney must devote full time to
his official duties.
There is high purpose behind the
requirement and every one recog
nizes that the county has enough
legal business to need the full-lime
services of a lawyer. In fact, the
law department may soon have a
staff of several assistant attorneys.
The trouble is that not many
qualified lawyers of experience are
willing to forego private practice—
with prospects of sizeable fees—to
take the county job on a salary
basis.
The charter does not fix a salary
limit for the attorney but it does
specify a pay ceiling of $12,000 for
the country manager. Councilmen
doubt the wisdom of paying any
official more than the manager is
paid.
McNayr Gets $10,000.
As acting manager, Irving G. Mc
Nayr is receiving $10,000 a year.
Can the council find a competent
and seasoned lawyer for that
amount?
Committee members think the
problem can be solved but they do
not know how soon. Legal business
Is piling up and every week’s delay
will mean that much more work
waiting for the new officer.
Councilmen have begun giving
thought to enlarging the county
attorney’s staff at some future date.
This may include the appointment
of law clerks in addition to assistant
attorneys. <
Such a step probably will not be
taken immediately Dut the heavy
volume of legal business in Mont
gomery is expected to become more
burdensome as the population in
creases.
Mrs. Charles Is Freed
Under Bond in Slaying
By th« Associated Press
NEWPORT NEWS, Va„ Jan. 31.—
Mrs. Ivy Patterson Charles, 45,
charged with the murder of her
husband in a family argument Sat
in-day, has been released from jail
under $5,000 bond.
The slain man, Winston H.
fDickie) Charles, 45, was a star
halfback on the William and Mary
College football team in the early
•20s.
Deputy Sheriff H. D. Riley of
York County said Mr. Charles died
In his home near Dare with four
slugs from a .25-caliber automatic
pistol lodged In the region of his
heart.
The officer said an investigation
Into the fatal shooting was contin
uing despite the fact Mrs. Charles
had made a statement afterwards.
Mr. Riley refused to say what the
I statement was, but reported that it
“conflicted to some extent” with
statements made by other persons
| Interviewed.
; Juvenile Court Dismissal
Held No Bar to Grand Jury
By the Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 31.—Attor
ney General J. Lindsay Almond, jr.,
has delivered a new opinion on the
.course Juvenile Courts must follow
in handling certain felony charges
against minors over 12 years of age.
In effect, he ruled Juvenile Court
dismissal of a felony charge does
not prohibit subsequent grand jury
action.
• The Attorney General’s opinion
was in answer to an inquiry from
Commonwealth’s Attorney C. E.
e-Cuddy of Roanoke.
Mr. Almond’s ruling answered
~ Mr. Cuddy’s query about a case in
which a 12-year-old boy allegedly
shot and killed his grandfather in
Roanoke.
The judge of the Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court there de
.aired if possible to handle the case
.entirely in his court, Mr. Cuddy
wrote. In view of a Virginia Su
- preme Court ruling, Mr.. Cuddy
1 thought "there is no choice but to
have this child bound over for ac
tion of the grand jury.’’
Prisoner, Let Out of Cell
To Use Phone, Escapes
By tha Associated Pratt
BALTIMORE, Jan. 31.—Baltimore
police are looking for a man who
escaped when a Federal marshal
let him out of a cell to make a
telephone call.
The man was one of several ar
rested cm charges of selling mari
juana.
Boyd M. Martin, superintendent
of the Federal Narcotics Bureau
here, said the fugitive, Milton
Bloombaum, 3, was taken into cus
tody in a raid. He said Federal
agents and city detectives had been
watching a marijuana ring here for
several months.
—
! Teachers Plan Panel
i
I For Takoma Park PTA
A panel of teachers will discuss
social and natural sciences at the
’ meeting of the Takoma Park Ele
mentary School Parent - Teacher
Association at 8 p.m. tomorrow in
the school.
. On the panel will be Miss Esther
Phillips, Mrs. Clara Geier, Mrs.
Elizabeth Murphy and Mrs. Geneva
Clark. The moderator will be Mrs.
Marion Rockwood, principal. j
THIS IS WHAT THE SNOW DID DOWNTOWN—Transportation
was at a premium this morning when snow and ice kept many
private cars at home and slowed the public carriers. This scene
was on Pennsylvania avenue between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets when the office-going crowd lined up trying to get
Virginia-bound buses.
Virginia Legion Drops
Alexandria as Site for
Convention After Row
By tht Associated Press
LYNCHBURG. Va., Jan. 31.—
Executive Committee of the Vir
ginia American Legion—whose an
nual convention had been set for
Alexandria in August—voted yester
day to select a new convention site.
Department Commander J. West
Wood Smithers of Richmond said
action was taken after Alexandria
Post 24 refused to participate in
convention arrangements unless it
was given exclusive control of all
details except the list of speakers.
Ralph A. Sentman, commander of
the Alexandria post, told a reporter
there that “we withdrew our invita
tion because our post was not rep
resented on the committee named
to handle the convention.”
He said it was customary for the
post which is host to the convention
to have control of the financial de
tails but not to select the speakers.
Invitation Withdrawn
Under the arrangement proposed
by Mr. Smithers, he said, an outside
group would be brought in to handle
the details. But the Alexandria post
would still have financial respon
sibility.
“So we withdrew our invitation.
However we will. take part in the
convention, wherever it is held,”
Mr. Sentman said.
The Executive Committee voted
after a two and a half hour meeting
to reconsider the action it took at
Roanoke last summer naming Alex
andria as the convention site.
It empowered Mr. Smithers to
name a committee of nine members
—one from each of the State’s con
gressional districts—to select a new
convention city.
The Legion, according to Com dr.
Smithers, already has receiyed an
invitation from Mayor Everett E.
Carter of Danville, the Danville
Chamber of Commerce and Posts
10, 325 and 29 in that city asking
them to meet there.
Represented on Committee.
William Raugust, a member of
Alexandria Legion Post 350, who is
general chairman of the convention, I
said Post No. 24 was represented on
his Arrangement Committee, and
denied that Post No. 24 was finan
cially responsible for the convention.
Mr. Raugust said R. Samuel
Luckett, a member of Post No. 24,
was serving on the convention
Arrangement Committee. Mr.
Luckett is an Alexandria City
councilman.
“I asked Mr. Sentman to serve
on the Arrangements Committee,
but he refused,” Mr. Raugust said.
“In fact, I told him to invite all
members of Post 24 who were in
terested to attend a meeting of the
Arrangements Committee.”
Post No. 350 was formed last fall,
after dissent in Post No. 24 became
known through an unsigned resolu
tion circulyated at a Legion- con
vention in Alexandria last summer.
The resolution criticized what it
termed the “rule of a clique” over
Post No. 24. Some members of Post
No. 350 formerly belonged to Post
No. 24.
Arlington Y Appoints
Committee Members
New committee appointments for
the Arlington Veterans Memorial
YMCA have been announced by Dr.
Harold M. Johnson, chairman. They
are: '
Homer J. Tillman, building and
facilities; Mrs. Alyce Fleet, budget
and finance; Marion C. Peters, pub
lic relations and Mrs. Julia Dean,
religious emphasis. J. Bryon Hop
kins was named treasurer.
Hyattsville Students
To Present Gym Show
A “Carnival of Gymnastic Capers”
will be presented! at 8:30 p.m. to
morrow in the Ftoty-third Avenue
School, Hyattevilll, by a cast of
seventh grade students under Dan
iel Palumbo, athletic director.
The show will follow a meeting of
the Mothers and \ Teachers’ Club,
scheduled for 8 djiL
It took more than a good ignition system to get the old bus under way this morning, as
Thomas F. Bull (left) demonstrates in helping Raymond D. Evans, 5914 Sixteenth street N.W.,
dear the windshield of his car. —Star Staff Photos.
-*
Woman Dies of Burns
In Blaze; Husband
Saved by Marine
Mrs. Mary Morgan, 42, died last
night of bums received early yes
terday in a fire which destroyed one
room of the apartment which she
and her husband occupied at 2026
P street N.W.
The husband, Marshall Morgan,
39. a taxicab driver, was rescued by
Marine Master Sergt. Ray McCoy,
who lived iri an apartment above
the Morgans.
Sergt. McCoy, who is stationed at
a Baltimore recruiting office, said
he was awakened by a call for help.
While his wife aroused other occu
pants of the building, Sergt. McCoy
broke down the door of the Morgan
apartment. Smoke was pouring from
beneath the door, he said.
The sergeant crawled through the
room on his hands and knees until
he found Mr. Morgan. He dragged
him to safety, but the intense heat
and smoke kept him from re-enter
ing the burning room, he said.
Mrs. Morgan, who apparently had
attempted to reach a window, was
taken from the room by firemen.
She died at Emergency Hospital.
Mr. Morgan, who was overcome
by smoke, was released after treat
ment at the hospital. Fire officials
have not completed their investiga
tion into the cause of the blaze.
17 Unhurt as Wall Collapses
In Old Alexandria House
The side wall of an old Alexandria
brick house partially collapsed yes
terday.
None of the 17 colored occuBgrits
of the house at 308 North Fairfax
street was injured, but they were
ordered to vacate the building by
A. R. Lash, Alexandria building in
spector.
Police said they believed the house
was more than a century old. They
said the owner was Mrs. Helen
Coates, 3558 Thirteenth street N.W.
The portion of the wall that col
lapsed was about 12 feet high and
15 feet wide. The cause of the col
lapse could not be determined.
Mr. Lash’s office said this morn
ing he had received no complaints
about the building until the collapse
yesterday. The only buildings reg
ularly inspected are large industrial
or public buildings, the office said.
The Alexandria Red Cross chap
ter made temporary arrangements
to house the three families who
were living in the house.
Athletic Fund Deficit Scored
By Washington-Lee Advisers
Charging that the Washington
Lee High School athletic fund is
“in the red” because of unbusiness
like handling, an advisory commit
tee of the Arlington School Board
has demanded adoption of a “sound
budget and financial policy” for
athletics.
In a report just transmitted to
the board, the Advisory Committee
on Athletics said "every cent.” of
the $17,600 fall football receipts
at Washington-Lee has been spent.
Committee members said they
were “acutely shocked to learn of
the condition of the fund and that
no money was left to run other
sports, which are not self-support
ing.” They declared the fund to be
“in the red because of commit
ments made over receipts.”
“Some back bills, which had been
contracted in former years, were
paid,” the report stated. “The com
mittee had anticipated the presen
tation of these old accounts and
several members had considered
the matter of compromising the
claims.
Signed by HHlenbrand. v
| ‘‘As far as we could ascertain,
these old accounts were committed
by one man and others were not
advised of their existence until
statements were presented for pay
ment.”
The report was signed by William
| Hillenbrand, chairman of the com
mittee which was appointed by the
School Board at the close of the
1947-48 school year. Other mem
bers of the committee are Arling
ton Sheriff J. Elwood Clements,
Ralph L. Clark. R. W. Oberlin and
Prank L. Ball, jr„ an attorney who
also is cotinsel to the School Board.
‘‘The books,” the report said,
•‘suggest the possibility of some
discrepancies in the matter of
accounts for shoes. They also re
flect a lack of accurate accounting
for advances made for trip expenses
and an apparent excessive amount
paid for scouting trips.
"Certainly the amounts paid for
scouting trips exceed the mileage
plus a reasonable amount for meals.
In this connection it must be borne
in mind that each of the coaches
is paid an additional amount for
coaching the sport to which he is
assigned and if he is entitled to any
compensation for scouting it should
be In the nature of reimbursement
for travel at the rate of 6 cents per
mile plus actual cost of meals to a
maximum of 11.25 each.”
(The coaches—Head Coach Harry
Deming and Franklin Rockwell and
Kenenth D. Batson—all teach In
the high school as their regular
employment.)
The committee report said that
the incidents cited “reflect the exist
ence of a very serious situation and
point with emphasis to the need for
the immediate adoption of a sound
budget and financial policy.''
“We • • • insist that a sound
budget and financial policy be
adopted and strictly adhered to. The
alternative, and the only alternative,
is that the board accept our resig
nation.*
“We cannot afford * • * to ask for
the confidence of the board and the
public in the handling of athletic
matters when we do not know and
cannot say with certainty the con
dition of the athletic funds until
they have all been spent.”
Coach Deming said that for scout
ing trips it has been customary to
submit traveling expense bills at
the rate of 8 cents per mile. Meals
are billed at $1.25 each although
they frequently cost more, he added.
$17,600 Gross Receipts.
Mr. Deming said the coaches have
nothing to do with administering
the athletic fund. This is handled
by other faculty members, includ
inr Principal C. M. Richmond. /
The coach said, however, that the
$17,600 mentioned by the committee
represented gross receipts. Net
j profits on the football season would
! be much less, he declared.
He noted that Federal taxes take
20 per cent of the receipts. In addi
tion, such expenses as guarantees to
visiting teams, pay of officials and
other game costs come from the
gross receipts.
Principal Richmond declined to
comment upon the report.
The committee also said that it
was “greatly embarrassed” to find
that it would be unable because of
the condition of the fund to make
a substantial repayment on the
costs of seats and lighting (which
amounted to more than $24,000)
other than $1,800 realized from the
rental of bleacher seats to the In
augural Committee.
The report noted that the re
ceipts from the night football games
in the one season amounted to
more thair the entire receipts from
all athletics at the school, includ
ing the sale of programs, athletic
equipment and programs from July,
1943, to November, 1945.
Acquisition and installation of
lights and additional seats at the
high school stadium was the first
project of the committee and was
carried out during the summer.
Prepared for anything from snow to rain, Postman William
P. Mahaney, 32, of 731 Taylor street N.W., shows up at Luzon
avenue and Van Buren street NW. with umbrella and galoshes.
Janitor Is Found Dead
AfSt. Mildred's Academy
Charles E. Kelly, 49, colored, a
janitor-handyman at St. Mildred’s
Academy, Laurel, Md., was found
dead in his room at the school
shortly after 7 a.m. today.
Prince Georges County police re
ported that when Mr. Kelly failed to
show up for breakfast school offi
cials investigated and found the
door locked. They detected the
odor of coal gas and summoned
the Laurel Fire Department.
Mr. Kelly was found lying on his
bed. There was a small coal stove
in his room. Dr. John T. Malone,
county medical examiner, was asked
to investigate.
Arlington Red Cross
Drive Committee Named
The Campaign Committee that
will aid in the 1949 drive of the
Arlington County Chapter of the
American Red Cross was named to
day, by Oren R. Lewis, fund cam
paign chairman. The drive opens
in March. Those appointed, and
their duties are:
Mrs. Henry Liebschutz, 1229South
Twenty-sixth road, vice chairman
of the committee; Burton Kephart
of the Arlington Motor Co., chair
man of the business solicitation
unit; Mrs. Reuben Horchow, 2704
Beechwood Circle, chairman of so
licitors for the north side of the
county, and Mrs. W. G. Blackburn,
2612 South Joyce street, in charge
of the southern section of the
county.
PTA to Discuss Science
A discussion on social and nat
ural sciences will be featured at a
meeting of the Takoma Park (Md.)
Elementary School Parent-Teacher
Association at 8 pm. tomorrow in
the school. Mrs. Marion Rockwood,
principal, will be moderator.
Oxon Hill Group to Meet
William H. McGrath, member of
the Maryland House of Delegates
from Prince Georges County, wilt
speak at a meeting of the Oxon
Hill Citizens’ Association at 8 p.m.
tomorrow at the Oxon Hill High
School
Arlington Property
Bought in Plan for
Fine Arts Academy
Plans for establishing in Arlington
of any academy of fine arts to serve
the Washington area were an
nounced yesterday by Van Lier
Lanning, director of the Arlington
Civic Symphony.
Mr. Lanning, a former member of
the National Symphony Orchestra,
announced that he has purchased a
building at 2601 Wilson boulevard
to house the academy. The struc
ture now is being used as a furniture
store and warehouse and formerly
was the terminal for the Washing
ton Virginia and Maryland Coach
Co.
The purchase price, Mr. Lanning
said, was “in excess of $100,000.” In
addition to floor space in the build
ing totaling about 14,000 square
feet of land which may be used for
parking space and future expansion.
Mr. Lanning said he plans to call
the school The National Academy
of Pine Arts. Plans include schools
of music, art, dance, theater, pho
tography and education.
In addition, the academy will be
the home of the 68-piece Arlington
Civic Symphony which Mr. Lanning
founded' in 1945. The symphony
season this year includes seven
concerts.
Mr. Lanning, 36, holds a bachelor
of science degree in music from the
Ithaca (N. Y.) College and studied
two years at the Curtis Institute of
Music, Philadelphia.
“There is no comparable school
in the Metropolitan Area,” he said.
Mr. Lanning said plans call for a
recital room seating several hun
dred, where it is planned to hold
chamber music programs in addi
tion to other functions.
During the summer Mr. Lanning
plans to operate a band and or
chestra school for children. Plans
call for opening the academy about
September 15.
Retired Publisher Dies
ROSELLE, N. J., Jan. 31 OP).—
Grover Cleveland Kempson, 54, re
tired publisher, died yesterday at
his home after a long illness.
4 Resignations
Are Accepted by
St. John's Board
President and 3 Other
Officers Quit Over
Administrative Row
By th» Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 31.—An admin
istrative controversy at St. John’s
College has resulted in the resigna
tions of President John S. Kieffer
and three other college officials.
The Board of Visitors and Gov
ernors meeting in a special session
in Baltimore yesterday accepted the
resignations of Mr. Kieffer, Dean
Raymond N. Wilburn and his assist
ant, Luke Harvey Poe, jr., and
Treasurer Harrison Fiddesof.
The board said the shakeup was
the result of “differences of opinion
John 8. Kiefler.
Raymond N. Wilburn.
on purely administrative problems.”
What the differences were remained
a mystery, except that they involved
clashes between Mr. Kieffer and the
other three men on the college’s ad
ministrative council.
The governors emphasized that
the resignations would not affect
the faculty status of the four men.
Mr. Kieffer’s resignation does not
take effect until June 30. Mr. Wil
bur’s and Mr. Poe’s are effective im
mediately and Mr. Fiddesof’s as soon
as a successor is named.
Two Get Sabbatical Leave.
Mr. Kieffer told the student body
which was assembled on the cam
' pus last night to be informed of
ithe board’s action that the dispute
“is evidence of the vitality and
growth of the college.”
The administrative controversy at
the 164-year-old “Great Books” col
lege came to light last week when
Mr. Kieffer demanded that Mr. Wil
burn and Mr. Poe resign.
The governors gave sabbatical
leaves for the academic year start
ing next September to Mr. Kieffer
and Mr. Wilburn. They said Mr.
Poe could have a leave if he wished.
A sabbatical leave is a year’s vaca
tion with pay, customarily given
every seven years to professors at
St. John's and some other American
colleges.
Jacob Klein, faculty member cur
rently on leave, was named acting
dean to serve under Mr. Kieffer for
the remainder of the academic year.
■ '•"Mr. Wilburn, who will continue
to serve on the faculty until his
leave, said he was undecided about
his future plans. Mr. Kieffer, how
ever, said he presumed he would
return to the faculty after his sab
batical.
Drafting Into Presidency Cited.
“I’ve been at St. John’s too long,”
Mr. Kieffer commented. “I’d like
to travel around the world.”
The students last night heard a
statement prepared by Richard F.
Cleveland, chairman of the board.
jMr. Cleveland declared, that Mr.
(Kieffer was “virtually drafted" for
jthe presidency after the retirement
of Dr. Stringfellow Barr in 1946.
“The board acknowledges in retro
spect,” Mr. Cleveland added “that
it was a disservice to Mr. Kieffer
to inject him into a position in
which his splendid personal and
professional qualities did not func
tion most fruitfully.
“The board wishes to make it
abundantly clear that we have no
reservations whatsoever about the
Character, integrity, or loyalty of
these individuals.
“The action taken is simply a
resolution of an administrative
impasse until a new administrative
team can be assembled.”
Adults Taught Etiquette
At Alexandria High School
A class in etiquette has been added
to the curriculum of the adult
evening school at George Washing
ton High School in Alexandria for
the semester beginning February 7.
Registration for the night classes
will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m,
Thursday and Friday at the school.
The courses will run for 15 weeks.
The only charge is a (2 tuition fge.
Other courses to be offered in
clude shorthand. Spanish, public
speaking, interior decorating, Eng
lish, algebra, typing, woodworking,
plane geometry, bookkeeping, auto
mechanics, drafting and blueprint
reading and machine shop practice.
Arlington and Fairfax
To Mark Scout Sabbath
National Boy Scout Sabbath will
be observed by Arlington and Fair
fax County Scouts at 8:30 p.m.
Friday at the Arlington Jewish Cen
ter, Lee boulevard and South Feq
wick street. Arlington.
Ralph Lutz, commissioner of the
Boy Scouts of Montgomery County,
will be guest speaker. Rabbi Ira
Sud will conduct the services.
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