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Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Dec 26, 1949
Page
1
Weather outlook shows cloudy periods with light to moderate rain today through Tuesday and modest temperatures, winds mainly easterly shifting northerly late Tuesday. Local social notes include Christmas visits by residents from Birmingham Jackson and Montgomery, and holiday travels of several families. Fire calls, hospital admissions, and church meeting notices are also reported, along with a measles case and a priest hospital visit.
Sam Crews, a Richmond contractor, dressed shabbily to test generosity. He offered a shoeshine boy a dime, was refused, then paid a 12 year old Douglas Anderson ten dollars for a free shine. The stunt aimed to discover the Christmas spirit.
Decatur begins house to house and store to store canvassing Tuesday to identify potential natural gas users. Ten canvassers, led by Garner Pride, will operate for about six weeks, with a $5 deposit required per consumer prospect.
A private plane from San Angelo crashed on the Sproles ranch near Slidell Texas killing Maj George Grape 47 and Dr William L McLaughlin with Texas Christian University student James Thomas Livingston 18 badly injured. The crash occurred at 6 35 p m Sunday and rescue teams found the two older men dead. Livingston was in serious condition. The fourth occupant George Grupe 18 survived.
A retired merchant named Richardson and his wife donated $1,000 to each of eight relatives as a Christmas gesture. They have no living children of their own and say they have given away more than $500,000 over time.
Moscow radio reported that 12 Japanese defendants in Siberia pleaded guilty to creating deadly germ warfare during World War II. The trial, begun two days after Russia announced prosecutions of 12 suspects including four generals, centers on using non explosive bombs to spread plague and cholera via fleas and other insects. Among the defendants was Maj Gen Kawashima Kiyoshi who testified about testing germ laden fleas and plane drops in 1941.
Japan awakened after Christmas to the rumble of the earth and the roar of the world's largest volcano. The central Honshu quake killed three, injured many, and left Imaichi heavily hit with about half of its 17 000 residents displaced. No American personnel were among casualties.
Ten year old Betty Lou Marbury in Brownsville asks readers to pray for her right hand to be saved from amputation after doctors in Memphis warned three weeks prior that a highly malignant lesion on her middle finger might require removal. The appeal comes as gifts arrive from across the United States.
MERNBERG Germany Dec 26 Seven children of Thurn reported a Christmas Eve vision of the holy family with angels song Mary Joseph Christ and the three wise men in a Bethlehem stable The tableau closed with the family fleeing toward Egypt About 5 000 pilgrims watched the children Christmas Eve None of the pilgrims saw the vision Crowds have been visiting Thurn since October on holy days
President Truman walked 30 minutes through Independence in 18 degree weather passing the Jackson County courthouse where he will speak and present a life size statue of Andrew Jackson. He autographed a book and spoke with a 10 year old girl awaiting his return. He plans to work at his Kansas City hotel after the address.
The last day of the Christmas holiday brought varied winter weather nationwide. Low temperatures ranged from 18 below in International Falls to 73 in Miami, with Chicago at 35 and Los Angeles at 44. A rain belt stretched from Northern Texas through Illinois to lower Michigan, expected to move east and warm the East Coast, while a narrow snow strip lay over Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, with snow also blanket ing Northern Utah Southern Idaho and Northern Minnesota.
Pope Pius XII, ending a four day program for the church Jubilee, received 10 000 seminarists and guided them on a visit to Saint Peter's basilica. In Italy Catholic action plans to intensify efforts to convert lapsed Catholics and even atheists during Holy Year as opposition to the church grows. Stones were thrown at communist papers as crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square awaiting admittance limited to seminarists and foreign pilgrims. See POPE at Page 2
A six room frame house at 1816 Sixteenth Avenue East was destroyed by fire at 2:37 AM on Christmas morning. Calvin L Spears, his wife and their five children escaped, losing all possessions including a Christmas tree and presents. neighbors and Fairview church members provided clothing and money. Firefighters faced water supply issues and wind as the rear of the house burned. the only saved items were a cleaner’s suit and a sack of cotton seed. Virginia Spears, 19, alerted a neighbor to call the fire department. The family includes Jerry, 6. Bill, 17. Jane, 15. Thelma, 12. and Jerry is ill with influenza. Spears farms long staple cotton and was active in breeding experiments.
An unidentified Black man attacked and robbed Red Bay bus driver E Callahan of Moulton early Saturday about three miles east of Moulton. The assailant reportedly asked to dim lights, knocked the driver into a ditch, and fled. A pocket full of one dollar bills was missing. Sheriff George Byars reported no charges were filed.
Hollis L. Ward and Ted Patterson, both of Decatur, were injured about 8:30 A M today when their automobile crashed into a utility pole in Moulton. They were treated for slight concussion and abrasions. doctors do not consider their condition serious. The soldiers from a South Carolina Army camp were driving toward Decatur when a car pulled onto the highway from a side road. Their 1940 automobile swerved to avoid it, struck a manhole cover, and then the utility pole. The pole was broken in two and the car was lifted into the air briefly. State Highway Patrol is investigating.
COLUMBIA Tenn Dec 26 Sheriff Flo Fleming said Hicks Walls 42 is being held without charge in the Christmas Day slaying of his father in law Leora Tosh Walls wife Tosh 33 was killed by a man said he will file a warrant charging Walls with murder The sheriff said he had learned of no motive for the shooting but Walls came to jail and surrender
City police report three Christmas Eve traffic accidents with no injuries. At Prospect Drive and Sixth Avenue East a 1949 Chevrolet driven by Jimmy Smith and a 1948 Chevrolet pickup driven by R L Johnson sustained heavy and light damage respectively. A Beach Street and Sixteenth Avenue East collision involved a 1937 Buick driven by J B Edwards and a Dodge driven by James Laneare with heavy damage to both. At Wilson Avenue and Sixth Avenue North a 1929 Ford driven by Robert B Nicholson and a 1950 Studebaker driven by Walter Strong sustained light damage to both.
Coroner reports 22 year old Leonard Price found dead near his Old River Road home from a 16 gauge shotgun blast around 9 p.m. Christmas Eve. Family says he returned from a party crying. firearm wrestled from his father during a scuffle and stock broken. Coroner Morrison continues investigation.
A Freedom Salt Lake Gy report notes that three individuals were released on Christmas Eve pardons. It claims 13 were jailed again today, with most rearrested for drunkenness within hours of release.
A nationwide AP survey traces violent deaths over the Christmas holiday. Traffic accidents killed 304, fires 55, and other causes 46 in the first portion of the weekend, with totals expected to rise. Notable blazes included a seven-member family in San Antonio and a Hyndman Pa. fire near a town center, while New Jersey and other states reported multiple fatalities.
Sheriff Benn Reaves lists victims in Troy wreck where three black individuals died when their truck rolled over. Ben Penn of near Troy and two of his children were identified, names not known. J. M. Anderson, 44, of Childersburg, died from injuries in a Talladega auto trailer collision. James Carroll Strickland, 19, of Luverne, was killed in Saturday’s crash. report continues on page 2.
Valley reports a peaceful Christmas week with few arrests. In Lawrence County two people jailed on false pretense charges and three for public drunkenness. Cullman recorded one jailed for driving while intoxicated. Limestone cited public drunkenness charges. Morgan County news remained clean. Athens city saw five for public drunkenness, one for reckless driving, and two for driving without a license.
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