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Scene Of Fayetteville Fire Tragedy FlamesRazeSeven-RoomHome Christmas MorningParents And Four Children Escape Blazing SodderHome ; Fayette Officers Are InvestigatingTragedy ; Only Bones Remain of VictimsFAYETTEVILLE, Dec. 25.—Christmas was a day of bitter tragedy for George Sodder and his wife, Jennie, after five of their ten children were burned to death in a fire that destroyed4H| t -their seven-room frame home two miles north of FayettevilleW0on route 19-21.The blaze was discovered about 1:30 a. m. Tuesday.Mrs. Sodder was first awakened by smoke. She went to use a 'telephone in a hall room in the back of the house, used as an‘office lor the family transfer business. She was unable to phone the fire department because the room was in flames, and the electric current was off.Fire Chief Forrest Morris got the call from a neighbor’s home but was told the house was already completely razed. The fire department was not sent to the scene until 9 a. m.Casualties were Maurice Sodder. 15; Martha Lee Sodder. 12; Louis Sodder, 9; Jennie Sodder. 8. and Betty Sodder, 6.Those who escaped, besides the _ —Only rubble remained of the Sodder family's frame bungalow after the fire early Christmas morning which claimed the lives of five of their children. The tragedy came after the family had prepared a gala Christmas reunion. Spectators view the ruins.Petrillo Bans ForeignRobber ReturnedMusic ProgramsToo Many TimesCHICAGO. Dec. 25 — (AP)—jare not members of the AmericanAmerican radio stations have been ' Federation of Musicians.” told to ban all musical programs I Petrillo, in a letter to the Na-onginating in all foreign coun- tional Association of Broadcasters, tries except Canada, James C. i said “we considered this a neces-Pftrillo, president of the AFL sary wartime measure to promoteAmerican Federation of Musicians, goodwill and good relationshipsaid today. The edict becomes ef-; with other countries, and we’refective Dec. 31.Petrillo said the order is being reinvoked “to protect the American musician against foreign competition,” he declared, “thatthrough international short wave radio a foreign musician could displace an American’s services without entering the United States.” He said that the ban is not new, that there has been an understanding between the union and the radio stations before the war to stop the foreign musical programs but “during the war the AFM waived, its objections to networkbroadcasts-of programs emanatingfrom foreign countries, even though music for these programs was furnished by musicians whotivery happy to cooperate.“However, now that the war is over, we believe that we should get back to normal as rapidly as possible, therefore, will you kindly discontinue the broadcasting of; any musical programs emanating i from foreign countries effective Dec. 31, 1945. This, of course, does not apply to the Dominion of man said. Canada, where the musicians are members of the American Federation of Musicians.”Petrillo said that religious broadcasts such as the annual Christmas and Easter programs from the Vatican and Jerusalem, and special overseas musical pro-NEW YORK, Dec. 25.—(AP)— Twice within three hours the same holdup man ordered the night manager and an elevator operator at the Midtown hotel to lie on the floor of tire lobby so that he could rob the desk cash register.On his first visit, the holdup man, identified by police as Thomas Curtin, 28, walked off with $79 after telling his victims he didn't want the money in their pockets because it was Christmas.Henry Walker, the manager, and Charles Paul, the elevator operparents, were Sylvia Sodder. Marion Sodder, George Sodder, jr.,I and John Sodder. i An unidentified son who is in i the army was not in the house I when it burned.According to F. E. Springer of The state police, the house had a basement, five downstairs rooms, and two upstairs rooms, where the victims were sleeping. The fire apparently started in a downstairs corner of the house near the place where electric wiring !and the /netpr box entered the ; home. A strong wind was blowing, and the house was completely | destroyed within a few minutes.The father, John Sodder, and George Sodder, jr., were staying in a little market building near the ihouse today after the fire. The I Red Cross, the fire and the board of education provided stoves, food and other commodities for them. Sodder, his i wrist cut in escaping, was con-SIX ARE HURTFALLS HERECHRISTMAS EVEOak Hill Resident IsInjured In CrashAt Price HillAt least six persons were hospitalized because of falls anddepartment one Oak Hill resident was injured in an automobile wreck|Pon Christmas Eve, when a sleetthis section.torm swept overfined to bed, and under medicalj paralyzing traffic in Beckleytreatment for shock.Mrs. Sodder, Marion Sodder, Hand Sylvia Sodder went yesterday to the home of Mrs. Sodrier’sator, notified the police and re- ,sumed their work. Four hours jhrother, Jimmie Cipiiani.at Smith-later the front door opened. is, Springer stated that Mis.“It’s him again,” Paul whispered podder ^’as doingto Walker. I b?aTv up bravely under the weightOn the floor again,” the holdup tiaSedy.° i lit mnher best toand vicinity.Beginning with a steady downpour of rain, highways ofthe county soon became a solid sheet of ice Monday night, causing numerous accidents, state police reported.The only highway wreck report-_ .led and investigated by BeckleyProsecuting attorney Carl p police occurred around mid-A guest, Glen Roberts, ap-! 1 s F a ett.e\ ille, and Mag- night Christmas Eve at Price Hill,proached the desk and was order- .‘j Le\el, of Oak Hill, ncar Bailey’s Cabins. State Trooped to join the others on the floor. ) ls|ted the scene of tne fire yes- L. Tabscott said ClarenceThen, the holdup man turned to! rj'*-v rooming, and decided to pox 20, of Oak Hill, was injuredhis business. Up from the floor co nue the inquest until this !n (jlr crafih.came Walker, Paul and Roberts. rooming. When the ashes were pox sustained injuries to his“Hello, police,” Walker phoned vY'1. remains of the jieacj ancj knees in the crash andWrest 68th street station detectives.; yic'ims, only a few bones were • now being treated at the Oak“He’s back, but this time he’s on foirirl1 , , Hill hospital. His conditionthe floor ” I. The fire was stl11 smouldering reported last night as “fine.”According to Tabscott, an auto-(Continued on Pa£e 4)Hunger AnCold AttendChristmas Day Abalate yesterday afternoon. Only a irubble of masonry remained of I the home, which was used by the Dempsey Transfer company before the Sodders bought it. Charred utensils, fruit jars, a stove, and bedsprings were littered about.mobile driven by Carl Robinette, of Oak Hill, with whom Fox was riding, collided with another car when the slick roads made it impossible to stop. The driver of thei Almost uncharred by the flames,other car was not known by po-j were little toys with which the;Winter ThrowsiBook ’ At N ationBy The Associated PressA storm mixture of everything in the weatherman’s winter catalogue was moving northeastward into New England last night (Tuesday) after leaving virtually all the northern half of the United1 States east of the Rockies locked in snow, sleet or glaze. Rail, air; and highway traffic was hampered.The storm extended as far j southward as Northern Georgia,which had all the varieties, and;westward through Nebraska, where) the snowfall ranged upward to 11 inches at Lincoln, with consider-iihle drifting.By The Associated PressI A world at peace for the first lYuletide in six years celebrated 1 Christmas with the holiday spiritdimmed in many lands by privation and suffering.; In the town of Bethlehem, the j birth of Christ \ias re-enacted at (midnight Christmas Eve in the Church of the Nativity by hgh jchurc dignitaries before an overflow of pilgrims from all over the world.British military authorities in Palestine made special efforts to enable as many service personnel as possible to take part in thepilgrimage.To many lands, short of food and fuel, the season held more threat than promise.Shattered Berlin managed to collect more than $300,000 for gifts and food, and some restau-SOLDIERSPROTESTSHIPCANCELLATIONMANILA, Dec. 25 — (AP) —Four thousand demonstrating U. S. soldiers marched on the 21stchildren had played. In a barn (near the house was a red wagon,, j John, who returned only a week ago after three years of service in I the army, told this story of the j fire;| “Mother and father went to bed about 10:30. We went to sleep up-j stairs about 11.15 or 11 30. We had (everything ready for Christmas. ! There was a set of Christmaslights in the window of mother’sbedroom. I was in the same bed as George, jr. He woke me up. I(Continued on Page I)Bre:iss ist m lt;wl sirHomes, ClubsHosts To Str•yrtLdFRANCISCO, Dec.(AP) —Many thousand Ameri-who fought in foreign andh()canstreplacement depot headquarters;came down expecting to help putiSfttoday in protest against cancellation of a scheduled transport sailing for home.The soldiers carried banners proclaiming “We Want Shi)Thev were met by Col. J. C. Campbell, depot commander. He ordered them to return to their barracks. After listening to a brief talk by the colonel, The men mill-iround for about ten mil i filtered back to their quart-the fire out. When I got to the door, flames were already there, and I couldn’t get back. Fire had swept from the place where the desk was to the front door. George had started trying to wake the others up. I guess they either didn’t wake, or didn’t move fast enough.“I think somebody set the fire,”strange lands andChristmas Day on t soil today thankfully although still far homes and families.In all the great ports Pacific -,eaboard soldieiwmn,icir md jcfromspentnativeJp. iind marines hrc.tnir spo homes, inFf\ tev(Continued on Page 4)PtA \sailors ; from war,in privvPrlOCi J» •There were botv 170.000 stranded coast for at least mas Day,Thov ’ Inn zwc] fn1IIIfi 1dub*Ofw ** Itt r*
Newspaper Details
Beckley Post Herald
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Wed, Dec 26, 1945
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MN, USA 27 May 2020
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