24 Dec 1953
Page 1
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Newspaper
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Dec 24, 1953
Page
1
Pope Pius XII in his 15th annual Christmas message calls for a continental union of European nations to equalize living standards and production. He warns against excessive faith in technology and urges Christian statesmen to pursue peaceful union and true peace as an inner mindset.
The Soviet government announced that Lavrenty Beria and six associates were executed by firing squad after a five day Supreme Court trial chaired by Ivan Koniev. The seven, veterans of the secret police, faced no appeal under the treason law.
In Carlsbad New Mexico a two month old black and white mongrel pup was rescued after 10 days trapped 38 feet down a collapsed nylon sea anchor in a yard well. Two strangers Wayne Gregory and W W Burr freed the dog using bread milk and a rope while neighbors monitored the perilous ascent. The Humane Society said the puppy was dehydrated but in good condition.
Cedar Rapids announces a two day holiday affecting city, county and federal offices. Friday and Saturday closings include post office windows and city hall. Banks, libraries, and most services follow the same schedule with limited Saturday operations for mail deliveries.
In Dyersburg Tennessee a courthouse yard Santa received 100 checks totaling expenses to help residents. The anonymous giver left a note directing Santa to use the funds where they will do the most good. The donor disappeared before completion of the act and no identity was revealed. The scene repeats from the previous year with similar delivery and intent.
A Wellington to Auckland express crashed into the upper Wangaehu River near Tangiwae in a cloudburst, killing more than 100 travelers. Prime Minister Sidney Holland accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to the scene as she prepared for a Christmas address to the Commonwealth.
Forecasters predict a bright but not white Christmas across Iowa with mild, partly cloudy to fair skies. No precipitation is expected through the weekend, with snow only where already on the ground as temperatures rise into the high 30s to 40s. Cedar Rapids registered 34 degrees at 2:30 PM after a 14 degree overnight low and a 18 degree high the day before.
In Jerusalem a Soviet first secretary Jacob Maidenak was refused entry at the Madelbaum gate as Jordanian authorities blocked his attempt to join a Christmas pilgrimage of Christian Arabs to Bethlehem. No diplomatic relations exist between Jordan and the Soviet Union.
A United States Army report probes why 22 American prisoners of war in Korea refused repatriation. Backgrounds reveal varied upbringings from religious households to troubled juvenile records, with stories of mothers, grandmothers, and pastors weighing the prisoners’ choices and possible coercion.
In Branford Florida a truck carrying 109 hogs slid on a slippery road and spilled into a swamp along the Suwanee River. More than 100 hogs escaped and only five were recaptured in the incident described as an unscheduled Christmas reprieve from the sausage factory.
Cedar Rapids marks sixth straight holiday with Candlelight Lane on Wildwood drive NE. Fourteen hundred candles along two blocks from Maplewood to Elmhurst will illuminate the avenue from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. A 10 foot electric cross stands at the Dilman Beck residence. Thirty four families participate. street lights off to let candles glow. Police direct traffic. route advised via Sixteenth Street NE to Maplewood.
An explosion in a Casablanca butcher shop killed 16 people and injured at least 10 as police hunted for Istiqlal party members. In Rabat, a native policeman was shot and killed, with a young Moroccan wounded on the outskirts.
An unknown toy thief returned gifts stolen from the Marrs and Hall households after a heartwarming appeal. Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Marrs had saved twenty dollars for their children Marcheta Bobby and Pete, and the presents were found undamaged and wrapped in the unlocked car driveway.
Admiral Arthur B. Radford chairman of the U S joint chiefs of staff met with South Korean President Rhee for two and a half hours at Rhee s retreat. U S diplomats including Ellis O Briggs Walter Robertson Maxwell D Taylor and Kenneth Young joined later. They discussed issues blocking Korean unification and the possibility of reopening the war if unification misses the January 27 deadline.
Indian officers guarding 22 American prisoners at Panmunjom report none of the GIs wants to return home. They claim secret escape methods were devised but unused and dispute a South Korean prisoner’s report that some captives were held by others against their will.
Police sought gunmen who robbed a St Paul tavern of 200 dollars wounding a customer in the head.
A spectacular blaze destroyed the Iowa County Savings Bank building in Marengo with an estimated $100000 in structure and total losses around $150000. An improvised bank operated from memory to serve last minute Christmas needs as vital records remained inside the fireproof vault. Firefighters battled the eight hour blaze from 2 am until 10 am, with the vault inaccessible until fully cooled.
Ellington Missouri flames engulfed two frame farmhouses killing nine members of two families early Thursday. Seven children among the victims. five others injured. Fires attributed to wood stoves. Roy Estep family members died in the blazes. other victims burned or injured.
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