The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 229, Ed. 2 Monday, February 11, 1952 Page: 1 of 22
twenty two pages : ill. ; page 22 x 16 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
6
P
1 of Com-
ls of five
oinipiried
E. Beat-
W Me-
I and R
nerve a
com
Ose, John
Im and
astor
=
romet
S. Lea
Day
SSION
of
I ST
lurch
SAY
1
14). To
r actions
I 4
ted unto
L matter
I ole mat-
I ole duty
th every
Iman has
I to his
hat there
on. (no.
Ird shall
III of my
you read
■ “But in
andments
1- - „.
- and de
1 for that
HIS
EAK
t Church
ervice in
CLOUDY,
COOLER
VOL. LXXI NO. 22»
The Abilene Re
er-ems
"WITHOUT OR WITH OFFENSE TO FRIENDS OR FOES WE SKETCH YOUR WORLD EXACTLY AS IT GOES"—Byron
EVENING
FINAL
Associated Press (API
ABILENE, TEXAS, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11, 1»52
SIXTEEN PAGES IN TWO SECTIONS
PRICE DAILY 5c, SUNDAY 10c
ibbock Flier, Top
e ■ - A ■ -
S Jet Ace Lost
4e VS AS, t
CRYING MARINE SMILES NOW — J. W. Sooter, who won fame as the Crying Marine
when he left Texarkana last year with a Marine Reserve outfit, is back home. His de-
parture picture (left) was widely used in ne wspapers and magazines. He never got to Ko-
rea, but he was a true leatherneck by the time he was discharged two weeks ago. Shown
the right with his mother, Mrs. S. L. Sooter, and little sister, June, Sooter is happier
now that he’s home again.
Lumber Yards,
Builders Top
Drive Quotas
Two more business groups have
met their quotas in the Chamber
of Commerce drive to raise $500,-
000 for an Air Force base here.
Dr. Harold G. Cooke, president
of McMurry College, and chair-
man of the drive to raise the $500,-
OG9, said Monday morning that
the small - home builders, and
the lumber yards had passed their
quotas.
The small - home builders re-
ported 326,700. Their quota was
$25,000.
Lumber yards raised $50,400.
Their quota had been $50,000.
- Dr. Cooke held a meeting Mon-
day morning at the Chamber of
Commerce office with committee
chairman to urge the committee
to expedite their reports so that
the drive can be pushed to an
early close.
The $500,000 would be used to
purchase land for expanding the
old Abilene Army Air Field into
a base large enough to serve two
medium bomber wings of the Stra-
tegic Air Force.
The Air Force has been consid-
ering reactivation of the base for
more than a yeai, and only re-
cently notified the Abilene Cham-
ber of Commerce that their plans
had progressed to the point that
they were interested in acquisition
of land.
It is hoped that a permanent Air
Force Base can be located here.
ADVERTISING PAYS OFF TOO
WELL; PERFORMERS BARRED
OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 11, (AP)—Here‘s a fish story
that beats them all.
Oklahoma City has contracted with P. P. Seeberger to
remove predatory fish from Lake Overholser. Predatory
fish prey on game fish. The city water commissioner, Mor-
ris B. Cunningham, decided it would be a nice thing if
residents here could watch the event. So he scheduled it
for yesterday, a Sunday, and advertised it.
About 20,000 cars turned out, 19,500 more than ex-
pected. Roads leading to the lake were snarled for
miles in all directions.
The fishermen? They could not get through the traffic
jam with their two boats and a 750 foot seine, so they gave
it up for the day as a bad job.
It took the police three hours and their whole force to
untangle the traffic.
AFTER GEAR FIXED
B-36 Hovers Over
Bay, Finally Lands
SAN DIEGO, Calif. W—An Air
Force B-36 bomber landed safely
today after nearly 13 hours aloft
with landing gear trouble.
The huge six-engine plane,
world’s biggest bomber normally
carrying 11 to 15 men in its crew,
came down at 3:20 a.m. (PST) at
the North Island Naval Air Station
in San Diego Bay. It was reported
to have been heavily loaded origi-
nally and on a delivery flight, des-
tination unannounced
The public relations office of
Amendments Filed
At Milk Hearing
Tennessee Dairies asked Mon-
day for amendments to a propos-
ed federal milk marketing order.
Hugo Swan, Tennessee's at-
torney. filed the suggested amend-
ments as a hearing got under way
at the Wooten Hotel on the ques-
tion of whether the federal govern-
ment shall set up a regulation Ax-
ing minimum prices that shall be
paid to producers for Grade A
/ milk In a 27 - county West Texas
area.
Swan first entered a motion
for postponement of the hearing.
He claimed he had not received
from the U. S. Department of Ag-
riculture a copy of the proposed
order.
, Stuart Russell of Oklahoma
City, who with George Overshiner
of Abilene is representing the Cen-
tral West Texas Co - operative
Marketing .Association, Inc., said
he mailed Swan a copy.
Earl J. Smith, hearing examiner
from the Department of Agricul-
ture, presiding, overruled the mo-
tion for postponement.
An order setting minimum milk
prices to producers in the 27-coun-
ty area waa requested of the De-
partment of Agriculture by the
Central West Texas Co - opera-
tive Marketing Association Inc.
Tenhessee’s requested amend-
ments would provide in general
— that trade barrier payments would
/ not apply to any given town until
WHAT'S NEW
ON INSIDE PAGES
POLITICS HOT—AP Corres-
pondent Dave Cheovens .finds
political interest running especi-
ally high this year in West Tex-
os.—Page 2-A.
CHURCH STATE — Vatican
ambassador controversy stirs new
religious disputes over church
state relationship —Page 8-A
FILTER, SEWER IMPROVE
MENTS—City Commissioners soy
higher water rates tao help ex-
pand water filter system finance
new sewer farm.—Page 1-B
CONTRACTING FOR RAIN-
Editor Frank Grimes discusses
Lamesa meeting in which farmers
hired a roin-making firm's ser-
vices.—Page 2-B.
after a hearing brought out evi-
dence that the order would not
tend to damage present or future
competition.
J. K. Webb of Miles, manager
of the co - operative association,
testified. He presented for the rec-
ord written information which he
said was gathered in the 27-coun-
ty area. It tended to show that
producers have been unable to
negotiate with handlers the de-
sired marketing conditions and
prices.
Maurice Brooks, Abilene attor-
ney, was on hand,to represent
Banner Dairies, Longhorn Cream-
ery and others.
H. F Pannill of Midland was
here as attorney for Borden of
Midland and Lubbock
Counties that would be covered
hv a mimimum price order. If
granted, are: Brown, Eastland,
Comanche. Stephens, Taylor, Tom
Green Jones, Scurry, Cole-
man, Runnels, Callahan, Nolan.
Mitchell, Fisher, Shackelford. Bor-
den. Haskell. Stonewall, Concho.
McCulloch, Howard, Martin. Mid-
land, Ector, Gaines, Dawson and
Andrews
Others representing the Depart-
ment of Agriculture in the hearing
are: Carl Degen and A. H. Plant-
ing. both of the dairy branch: and
Web Maxon of the solicitor’s of-
fice. All are from Washington, D.
C., as la Smith.
Joe R. Shelton, Jr., of Brown-
wood president of the co-operative
marketing association, was also
present. ,
Other witnesses during the
morning were Planting and Shel-
ton
Amendments proposed by Ten-
nessee's lawyer will be discussed
as the hearing proceeds. Therevi-
dence Monday morning did not
touch on them
Planting referred to statistics
Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Co..
B-36 builders, later gave a brief
statement in the name of Col.
Steve Dillon. Air Force representa-
tive at the Convair plant here.
It said only that the plane de-
veloped landing gear trouble, that
the crew “worked up a fix” (re-
pair) in the air and the ship made
a normal landing. The statement
added that it stayed aloft as long
as it did in order to use up most
of its fuel load before the landing.
The bomber took off from San
Diego's Municipal Airport, Lind-
bergh Field, at 2:30 pm. yester-
day. It was believed headed east-
ward. But reports at the field were
that the landing gear fouled as It
was being retracted shortly after
takeoff.
The huge plane droned over San
Diego and the area near this city
of 334/000 for hours. Residents
accustomed to flights of the big
bombers nevertheless were puzzled
at the persistent circling of this
plane. Newspapers and the police
received numerous inquiry calls.
Fire Chief George E. Coufser
had men and equipment at Lind-
bergh Field until midnight. Then
he sent equipment back to sta-
tions. but on a 20-minute alert.
Clubb Resigns After
Loyalty Clearance
WASHINGTON. Feb 11 i —The
State Department said today O Ed-
-mund Clubb, foreign service officer,
has been cleared by a department
loyalty and security board but will
resign, effective today.
which he filed from the Depart-
ment of Agriculture and the Bu-
reau of Census relating to the
milk production in the 27 counties
involved together with prices paid
for alfalfa and other hay in Texas.
19 Skiers Killed
VIENNA ( — Nineteen skiers
were killed and 10 injured early
today when a huge avalanche bur
led an Alpine hut near the Arl-
berg Pass, the Austrian News
Agency said.
THE WEATHER
TOKYO, (AP——Maj. George A. Davis, Jr., America’s
greatest jet ace, was shot down over Korea’s MIG Alley and
presumably killed Sunday after shooting down two more Com-
munist MIG 15s in his last air battle, Far East Air Force an-
nounced today.
Davis had a total record of 21 planes shot down—11
MIGs and three Communist light bombers in Korea— and
seven Japanese planes in World War II.
PROBABLY DEAD -
Although there was little doubt that the jet ace from Lub-
bock, Tex., was dead, Air Force officials reported him as
missing in action.
His plane was seen to crash after being hit and no para-
chute was seen in the air or on the ground, the Air Force said.
The Far East Air Forces' summary of Sunday's action
said three Communist MIGs were destroyed and live dam
aged during “fiercely-fought clashes over Northwest Korea."
Davis also made all his previous Korean kills in pairs or
fours.
In keeping with a recently adopted policy, Allied air
losses are not told until the end of the week.
BROKE AWAY
3d Elizabeth, N.J.
Crash Fatal to 30
ELIZABETH, N. J., Feb. 11 an home, burning fiercely, while the
—A crippled airliner roared down rear section lit in a treetop.
Unlike the other two crashes in
into thia frightened, erash-plagued
city today, sliced into a big apart-
ment house and blew up — the
third major air disaster within the
city in less than two months.
There were 30 known dead and
two persons unaccounted for,
making a possible death toll of
32 At least 116 have perished In
the three successive residential
district crackups.
The National Airlines DC-6, dis-
abled by engine trouble at a thou-
sand feet in a clear midnight sky,
nosed over — and like two others
before it — plunged down into the
city as residents cringed before
the familiar, oncoming scream.
The plane rammed Into the 52-
family dwelling and exploded into
flying fragments and fire.
Twenty-eight of the 63 persons
aboard the Miami-bound plane, in-
cluding three of the four-member
crew, were dead or missing. At
least four apartment house resi-
dents were killed. Forty persons,
most of them the plane’s suvivors,
were injured about one third of
them seriously.
The new tragedy forced a hasty
shutdown of air traffic at nearby
Newark Airport, one of the busiest
in the east. The field's operations,
in the words of Elizabeth's Mayor
James T. Kirk, had placed this
city under an “umbrella of death."
The airport’s traffic was divert-
ed to Idlewild and La Guardia Air-
ports in New York City and also
to Philadelphia.
Minutes before the four - engined
airliner crashed at 11:20 p. m.
(CST), its pilot messaged that two
engines had failed. Told to return
to the field, he radioed a last
"Can't make it.”
The pilot, Capt. W G Foster,
died tn the crash.
Then, the big plane plunged
downward like a meteor, stream-
ing gasoline behind it. The omi-
nous roar of its.descent kindled ter-
ror in residents below. Twice be-
fore since mid - December they
had heard that sound and twice
before flaming death struck among
which all plane passengers and
crew were killed. 35 of those
aboard, most of them in the rear
section, miraculously escaped
death. But like the crash 20 days
ago, the plane spread death on the
ground.
The plane nosed over and roar-
ed downward shortly after Its take-
off. In the apartment house below,
some one screamed "Plane
crash! Everybody run!”
It was like a familiar signal in
this industrial city of110,000,
which is about 10 miles south of
New York City.
On Dec. 16, a non-scheduled C—
46 dropped in flames into the Elis-
abeth River, killing all 56 aboard.
On Jan. 22, an American Airlines
Convair hurtled into a residential
district, killing all 23 aboard and
seven residents.
Today's plane was two minutes
off the ground when its pilot, Capt.
Davis and his wingman, Lt. William W. Littlefield, Louis-
ville, Ky , spotted a flight of MIGs about 8 a. m. Sunday and
broke away from the rest of the squadron. Davis had just
completed firing a pass with Littlefield through a flight of
ten MIGs when enemy fire struck his Sabrejet.
Apparently Davis was unable to regain control.
Littlefield gave this description
of the battle:
W. G. Foster, radioed that an en-
gine had failed. The field told him
to come back.
Foster started dumping fuel to
lighten his load, then another- of
the four engines went out,
“We were about 1,000 feet up
when the motors conked out and
made a terrible rumbling noise,"
said Stewardess Nancy Taylor of
Coral Gables, Fla., a survivor.
"It was the most terrible noise I
ever heard.
“Aa the plane fell. I could hear
screams and yells. All the passen-
gers still had their straps around
their waists. I didn’t know whether
’I was alive or not. My body had
been twisted upside down."
In the city below, dwellers
leaped from their beds.
"The house shook,” said Her-
man S. Goldford. "My wife and
I got up and grabbed the children
and ran, trying to get away. We
kept running trying to get away
from the Bearing heat.”
AS PLANE HITS APARTMENT
Stewardess Tilted Upside
Down but Escapes Death
ELIZABETH, N. J. Monday,
Feb. 11 Un—Here is the eyewitness
account of the National Airlines
DC 6 crash as told by Stewardess
Nancy Taylor, who escaped death:
"Capt. Foster must have pulled
some emergency power from some-
where as we seemed to level off.
"But I swear my stomach kept
on dropping.
•'Then, about a minute later, we
started falling toward the ground
and I knew that we were going to
crash.
"Oh, what a feeling. As the
plane fell I could hear screams
and yells. All the passengers still
had their straps around their
waists.
"I was in the stewardess' jump
seat—and how I prayed!
"When we first struck the apart-
ment building—I didn’t know what
it was until later—I was tilted
almost upside down.
"Fire was roaring all around the
outside of the plane.
"Then we struck something else
—the ground, I guess-and I could
feel the ship skimming along. Then
we stopped suddenly.
"I don't know how 1 ever got out
of that plane alive—but thank God
I did! 1
"I’d say we were up about 1.000
feet when one of the motors conked
out and made a terrible rumbling
noise. Then we started falling. I
think we dropped at least 250 feet.
"My body had been twisted up-
side down. As I struggled to free
myself from the strap around my
waist, someone opened the door of
the plane. _—.
“Nothing will ever happen again
in my life to match that moment."
them.
The plunging National Airliner
knifed through the top floor of the
four story brick apartment house, ---:---—----------------—-------
wiping out one whole family of . .
three Another resident died on the 5 00 96s
second floor, screaming behind a 1 AT AISTI
wall of flames. - 400AC iVAailJ
The plane caromed off the build-
ing slinging wreckage for—hun-. ■ AL.L T.R
dreds of yards around. The front T MRTTAT
of the fuselage catapulted int. the III I IQI VII DI OI
play - ground of a children's
ABILENE AND VICINITY -Light show.
ers possible, but not likely Skies most- /
ly partly cloudy, today, tonight and 1
Tuesday. Cooler today and tonight Little
change Tuesday High temperature today 13
70 Low tonight 40. High Tuesday in the €
TO.
EAST TEXAS Partly cloudy ■ little
cooler with scattered- showers in north
portion this afternoon and tonight Tues-
day partly cloudy and a little warmer
north portion. Moderate to locally fresh
southerly winds on the coast
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS: Partly
cloudy and mild - this afternoon, tonight
and Tuesday Moderate to locally fresh
southerly winds on the coast
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS Partly
cloudy with scattered showers and a little
cooler this afternoon and tonight. Tues-
day partly cloudy and a little wartner
WEST TEXAS Partly cloudy this
afternoon and tonight A ‘
upper Pecos Valley eastwa
partly cloudy and a little •
TEMPERATRES
Sun. P. M.
Shelton outlined the purposes of
the marketing co - operative as
“promotion of sound quality milk
programs, and assuring producers
of fair and equitable maket." He
said the association believes an or-
der on minimum prices will elim-
inate ’friction" between pro-
ducers and handlers and result in
a more stable milk industry.
90
little cooler
d Tuesday
....
HIS LIFE THREATENED-Dan-
* lel A. Covelli, Jr., 22-year-old son
* of a Chicago criminal court judge.
M checks through 'Bureau of Iden-
59 tification files in an effort to iden-
65
Si Midnight
Sunrise today ____—... ------ ....
Maximum temperature during 24-hour
period ending at 6:30 a.m, 80.-
Minimum temperature during 24-hour
period ending at 6:30 a.m., 50.
Barometer reading at 12:30 p.m.: 28.13
Relative humidity at 12:30 p.m.: 47%.
7:26; sunset
Noon 64
tonight 6:21
tify the man who threatened his
life. Chicago police rounded up
two dozen “known hoodlums" in
their investigation of the mur-
der of a Republican ward com-
mitteeman, Charles Gross, and
i threats against others. Including
I young Covelli.
AUSTIN, Feb. 11 —Texas draft
boards will call 3,628 men In March
for pre-induction physical exam
inations. State Selective Service
headquarters announced today.
State Director Paul L. Wake-
field said 90 out of Texas' 137
local boards will order the. exam-
inations, limited to men 21 years
of age and older.
The 47 boards not getting a call
for pre-induction examinations in
March had no available men 21
years old or older for examins
tion, Wakefield said.
Boards in that category are
Port Arthur, Bay City, Livingston,
Center. Clarksville, Alpine, Van
Horn, El Paso, Pecos. Pleasanton,
Pearsall, Seguin, Lockhart, Karnes
City, Sonora, Uvalde, Del Rio,
Georgetown, Richmond, Eastland,
Odessa, Jayton.
Also Lampasas, San Angelo,
McCamey, Midland. Muleshoe,
Hereford, Childress, Dalhart, Per-
ryton, Sinton, Stephenville, Mar-
lin, Athena, Terrell. Paris. Groes-
beck, Cameron, Canton.
Picket Bows Out ;
Of Congress Race
PALESTINE, Feb. 11 @M -
Rep. Tom Pickett of Palestine
announced today he will not be a
candidate for re-election.
Voters of the Seventh Congres-
sional District had sent him to
Washington four times. No one has
announced against him for the
office.
The Congressman said It waa
after long deliberation that he
decided to retire from public serv-
laa.
WIFE-SAVERS
Man Uses Bonds
For Own Defense
WASHINGTON w — Congress
heard today about a bigamist who
had had to eash. his defense bonds
every 60 days" to save my life."
The story turned up with the re-
lease of hearings by the House
Appropriations Committee on the
budget of the Treasury Depart-
ment's Savings Bond Division.
Robert W. Coyne, consultant to
the division, said while checking
why people were cashing their
bonds he met one man who ex-
plained:
"The fact is gentlemen, I am
married to two women. I buys the
bonds and 1 gives them to my first
wife and after 60 days I sneak
them away and cashes them and
gives the money to my second
wife. So you see the box I am in.
That is why I cashes bonds."
“Davis and I broke away from
the rest of the patrol just north of
Sinanju. We headed for the Yalu
in an effort to contact MIGs bead-
Ing Into the area.
"About 10 miles from the mouth
of the Yalu and still south of the
river we spotted a flight of 10
MIOs just crossing into Korea.
They were about 8,000 feet below
us and Maj. Davis called for a div-
ing turn to bring us In behind
them.
“As we closed on the flight Da-
vis started firing at a MiG in the
rear of the formation. I saw the
enemy’s wing root light up from
hits by Davis's 50s and smoke bil-
lowed out. Just as we whizzed by
the MIG went into an uncontroll-
able dive.
BEGAN TO SMOKE
"Maj. Davis then called to make
sure 1 was still with him and we
continued through the formation.
Davis lined up soother MIG near
the iront of the enemy flight and
gave him a long burat that spray-
ed his right wing root. This MIG
star ted to smoke and went straight
down.
"By this time we had gone
through the entire formation and
were out in front oi them. MIGs
must have started firing. That was
when 1 saw the malor a ship had
been hit."
Although an intense air Kerch
was made over the entire area,
no evidence was found to Indicate
that Davis survived the crash of
his ship, the Air Force said.
Davis became America’s fifth
jet ace of the Korean war Nov. M
when he bagged three TU2 propel-
ler-driven bombers and one MIG
jet in a big air battle south of the
Yalu River mouth.
Just 14 days later, Dec. 13. Do-
ris became the see of aces in Ko-
rea when he shot down four MIGs
in two biasing battles to boost his
total kill to nine MIGs and three
Red bombers in 16 days
He held every combat record
made by a jet pilot — the most
kills of sU types of jianes, the
most MIGs destroyed and the moot
kills of propeller driven planes.
ONE A DAY
The following day AL force of-
beials announced Daria was too
valuable to risk on two in ssions a
day and henceforth would be al-
lowed to fly no more than one.
Fellow filers predicted Davis
soon would be heading home to
teach other jet pilots or possibly to
take port in a nationwide bandsell-
ing tour.
Davis, 31. had no particular wing
man,
"I fly with most all the boys in
the squadron — we've got some
mighty fine fliers," he sold after
bagging his ninth MIG
Earlier in the war, jet aces had
been sent home after their fifth
kill.
Davis had to stay because the
Air Force didn't have a squadron
leader to replace him.
Asked whether his wife was dis-
appointed, Davis said:
"She'd like to see me come
home, naturally But I'm not the
one who makes that kind of deci-
sions.”
INSPIRED CONFIDENCE
Davis's roommate, Capt The-
odore S. Coberly, Seattle, spoke for
all of the filers in the squadron
when be said:
‘The men would like very much
for him to stay—they know he'll
lead them right into where the
MIGs are. He inspired his squad-
ron with confidence and certainly
seta an example for courage."
MAJ. GEO A. DAVIS, JR.
NO REASON!
Widow Asks
Investigation
LUBBOCK, Feb. 11 • - The wife
of jet ace Maj. George A. Davie
Jr., reported missing in action to
Korea, said today she would like
to ask a full-scale investigation of
why he was left in Korea.
"If I could feel that he has lost
hle life for some good reaeon, I
could feel better about It” Mrs.
Davis told C. W. Ratliff of the Lub-
bock Journal.
Mre. Devia, who la expecting her
third child the first week in May,
received the missing in action noti-
fication telegram last night. She
wee put to bed under medical treat-
ment.
“I would like to ask a full-scale
investigation of why be was left in
Korea," she told Ratliff, who visit-
ed her at the home of her mother,
Mrs. W. A. Cantwell, in Lubbock.
“In the first place, he should nev-
er have been sent overseas,” she
said. "He would have been more
valuable over here, teaching young-
er fellows to fly.” ■
She baa received no further word
since the telegram last night She
told Ratliff: "No doubt I won't get
much more information after this
statement but it may help someone
else.”
Mrs. Davis has been living here
with their two children, Mery Mar-
garet, T, snd George Andrew Davis,
III. almost two years old.
Just two days ago, Mrs. Davis
told a newsman she was expecting
Major Davis home in April. He left
Lubbock Sept. 27, 1951, arrived in
Korea Oct. 21, flew his first com-
bat mission Nov. 1, got his first
plane Nov. 27 and bagged 14 planes
before Dec. 13, his wife said.
His wife has been receiving let-
ters from him st least every other
day. Once he wrote. "Even if the
war continues, I expect to be home
soon.” At another time, speaking
of downing enemy planes, he
wrote: "They had better stay away
from me because tbst's the fastest
way I know to get them."
He was the seventh of nine chil-
dren of Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Davis,
Sr. who lire in Hole Center, near
Plainview.
TRACE FALLS
Showers Possible,
But Hol Likely
A trace of rain fell la Abilene
about 3 a. m. Monday morning
That vindicated : the weather-
man’s forecast Sunday night that
"occasional showers" might be
forthcoming.
The U. S. Weather Bureau ob-
server at Municipal Airport pre-
dicted Monday morning that light -
showers were also possible during
the day.
"But," he added glumly, "not
very likely.”
Otherwise the weather will be
about the same Monday and Tues-
day with skies partly cloudy and
only slightly cooler temperatures
Monday and Tuesday.
Stamford also had a trace of
rain Sunday night, while further
north, Knox City measured 28
Inch and Benjamin ,40 Inch. Show,
ers were reported over most of
Knox County. •
Bland Identified as Gunman
Looting Safeway of $1,872
Ernest George (Trigger) Bland,
37, went to trial before a jury in
42d District Court Monday for the
armed robbery of the Safeway
Store at South Eighth and Butter-
nut St. on Dec. 14.
Two Safeway employes Iden-
tified Bland as the men who held
up the store, taking $1,872 in cash.
Horace Justice, manager, who
sacked up cash register receipts
and took a packet of currency from
the company safe and laid ft on the
floor for the robber, related how
he did it at the point of a snub-
nosed revolver. L. E. Lovelace,
Safeway checker, said he saw,the
robbery.
told how he had held up the store.
McDonald said it was made in the
presence of Asst. Dist Atty. Wil--
Ilam Thacker, Jr. The statement
in question was read by Dist. Atty.
Wiley Caffey after defense attorney
Malcolm Schulz had agreed to its
reading.
JURY SEATED QUICKLY
The jury was obtained quickly
and inside an hourthe panel had
been seated, when Caffey read the
indictment. Caffey asked-each pros-
pective juror. "Are you against
the death penalty in proper cases?”
Only about two said they were op-
posed to it. The state excused 10.
the detenae 14, and the court five
for disqualifying. About 150 had
been drawn for the special venire
and regular jury for the week.
The court recessed after hearing
City Detective Walter B McDon-
ald testified be was present at a
Wichita Falls Hospital two days
later when Bland allegedly made _
a written statement in which he I McDonald, until 1 o'clock this aft-
ernoon, when additional witnesses
were expected to be put on the
stand.
The jury consists of D. C. Lam-
bert. 2025 West Fifth; C. H. Haines,
1529 North 18th; George W. Lawrie,
1225 West 19th; William R. Brave-
nee, 121" Beech; E. A. Morris, ‘
1743 South Sth St.; R. F. Perry, Rt.
1, Merkel; Billy L. Shaw, 1SM
Sandefer, T. A. Cozart, 2442 South
Third; H. W. Spillman. 2433 North
5th; L. D Fielder. Rt. 4, 2641 Sim-
mons; C. W. McCall, W Willis;
J. D. Schoonover, 923 Hickory
Witnesses were excluded from
court room.
Justice, manager of Safeway,
said the day of the robbery was a
Friday, "big day." A man he
identified as the defendant came
Please See BLAND, P. 7B, tel. 4
A
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 229, Ed. 2 Monday, February 11, 1952, newspaper, February 11, 1952; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1648804/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Public Library.