The El Reno Daily Tribune (El Reno, Okla.), Vol. 62, No. 260, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 31, 1953 Page: 1 of 6
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3,650 Lost 6is
In Korean War
Presumed Dead
U. S. Death Total la
Raised To 30,000
By Official Action
WASHINGTON, Dec. tl -<U.PJ_
The army end airforce today wrote
"preaumad dead” acrne the names
of eoane 1,660 men miasinc 111 action
la Koran.
For the thousands of families
who have clung to the last thin
•bred of hope that their long mw
ing sons or husbands might still
be alive, it was a heartbreaking
Hew Tear's message. It raised the
U. 8. death toll in the Korean war
to nearly 30,000.
Formal announcements that the
men have been declared officially
dead will be sent to the next of kin
by registered mall early next week.
The services deliberately held up
n«lUng the notifications in order
hot to break the sad news during
the holidays.
Hissing far Year
The army declared about 1,400
missing men dead and the airforce
about 250. All of the men have
been missing in action for over a
year and a diligent search has yield-
ed no information that would in-
dicate they still might be alive.
The marine corps over the last
month has declared 300 mining
men dead, and will announce the
names along with other services
early in January. The navy, with
only 00 men missing in action, is
handling each case Individually
and will make no formal announce-
ment when it transfers the men
to the officially dead list.
The most recent defense depart-
ment casualty list showed 35,604
men were killed in the Korean war.
Transfer of the army, marine and
airforce missing to the dead cate-
gory raises the death toll to about
WA60.
Others on List
. Still officially listed as missing in
•etion are another 3,486 men, most
at whom eventually wlU be declared
dead. The men are continued in
the miasinc category either because
they have been missing for leas
than a year or because there are
■rounds for belief that a few of
them may still be alive but not re-
turned by the'Communists.
With today's ruling, the pay and
allotments received by the famillee
of the 3,860 "presumed dead” army
and airforce men will automatically
end.
135 China PWs
Decisions Are Made
During Indian Check
PANMUNJOM, Dec. 31. —(U.B—
Indian troops made a year-end head
count of Chinese war prisoners in
their custody today and 13S of the
4,385 checked asked to return to
Communist China.
An Indian spokesman emphasized
that the count was not a screening
and did not substitute for Interviews
which ended Dec. 33.
However, Indian guards gave
prisoners wishing to return home
every chance to ask for repatriation.
There was no indication whether
the count would be extended to
the pro-Comm uniat north camp
which holds 23 Americans who re-
fused to return home.
Nor was there any indication
whether the count would be ex-
tended to North and South Koreans*
or the one Englishman in custody.
South Korea's Foreign Minister
Pyun Ylng Tal hinted that if the
Indian command oontlnues its pro-
gram the ROK goverment might
take steps to free the anti Com-
munist FOWs.
“Unless the Indian guards reverse
their attitude," Pyun told newsmen,
“we cannot let our anti-Communist
prisoners remain in their charge
any longer.”
He did not say why he opposes
the head count and there was no
comment from the Indian com-
mand.
An Indian spokesman told news-
men to call him Friday to find out
whether the oount will be' con-
tinued.
GREETING THE NEW YEAR—Tomorrow will be the first day of a new year, and taking a peek at the
future is Mrs. M. A. Mitchell, secretary to 8chool Superintendent Paul R. Taylor. Mrs. Mitchell's smile
Indicates there'll be good days ahead in 1064, although work in the school administration building will
continue right into the next year with little change. Mrs. Mitchell is currently helping make out with-
holding tax statements for some 330 school employes—teachers, part-time workers and other*. Incidentally,
the number “4" on the new page marks the end of Christmas and New Year s holidays for El Reno
school children and teachers.
Income Tax Slash Is Due Friday
But Social Security Rate Is Up
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31—(UP)—Taxpayers will receive
an average 10 percent cut in personal income taxes tomorrow.
Social security taxes increase at the same time. Theve-
fore, millions of persons in lower income tax brackets ac-
tually will pay more, or about the same in taxes.
For those in the middle in-
Air Gun Shooters
Warned of Ruling
Police Chief Lee Harvey came out
again with one of his annual holi-
day reminders today—it's against
the law to shoot air rifles Inside
the city limits.
Harvey gets the same flood of
complaints from heightened or
annoyed residents after Christ-
mas each year, when boys newly
equipped with shiny air rifles begin
target practice.
Offenders faoe police court fines,
Harvey said, urging parents to see
that their youngsters try out their
new presents somewhere outside ct
the city.
City Bowlers
Set Dates In
Tourney Play
TMEN in El Reno's three bowl-
tng leagues, El Reno Re-
formatory, Business and City, will
begin their annual city bowling
championship play Tuesday, Jan.
5, in the El Reno Bowl.
Harry Schroeder, city secretary,
said action will open with teams
of the Reformatory league taking
the alleys Tuesday and bowling
their team events.
On Wednesday that night's re-
gular league will bowl its tourney
games while the Thursday night
league will roll on Jan. 7. All
doubles will be rolled Saturday
night, Jan. 9, while singles events
will be held Sunday afternoon and
night, Jan. 10.
Schroeder said these dates were
selected since some members of
the three leagues plan to roll In
the annual Times tournament in
Oklahoma City Jan. 16 and 17.
Trophies will be given winners
in all events here, while team
champions will receive trophies
and American Bowling congress
arm patches for the 1953-54 sea-
son. Singles, doubles and all-
events winners will receive the
arm patches also.
Several teams have announced
plans to enter the Southwest
tournament in Tulsa. Last year
Skip Miller won the singles In class
A and will be denfending his title
this year.
Entry blanks to the Southwest
and other tourneys scheduled for
the next three months are avail-
able at the desk in the El Reno
Bowl or from the city secretary.
Bank Robber
Gets $50,000
HOUSTON, Tex., Dec. 31—(JP5—
An armed robber escaped with an
estimated 060,000 from the
Houston National bank this morn-
ing.
The robber walked Into an under-
ground vault, pulled a gun on
Donny N. Allen, 10, and ordered
him to put several stacks of 30s
and 10s and 6s Into a leather brief-
case he was carrying.
Allen said:
“He flashed the gun long enough
for me to tee It and then put It
back in his pocket He told me
‘Jiut give me some of the Mg bills'
and put it In this briefcase,"
come brackets, the weekly
pay check wifi be slightly
fatter—from a few cents to
a few dollars.
The tax cut will cost the treasury
about «3,400.000X100 for the year.
The excess profits tax on business
also expires Friday, and that will
cost the treasury an additional
estimated *1,600,000.000.
Examples Offered
How does it happen that a per-
sonal income tax cut will mean
more total taxes for some persons?
The answer is that the social
security levy on the first $3,600 of
a worker's salary will rise from 1%
to 2 percent.
Take a married couple with two
dependents and earning *2,500 a
year. This couple will pay no per-
sonal Income tax. But their social
security payment will Jump from
*37.50 to $60 for the year.
The social security tax is paid
by both employers and employes.
Beginning tomorrow each will pay
2 percent, an Increase of M percent.
The Increase will mean less take-
home money for many.
Taxes to Increase
Take another example of what it
will do. A married couple with two
children and having a gross income
of *3.000 a year now pay (66.60 a
year In income taxes and *45 in
social security taxes—a total of
3111.60. After tomorrow, this couple
will pay $60 a year In Income taxes
and (60 In social security taxes—
a total of $120 or an Increaae of
38.40.
Weather
Generally fair tonight and Fri-
day. Wanner tonight and in the
southeast portion Friday. Lows
tonight in the 30s. Highs Friday
from the 40s in the northwest to
the 50s in the southeast.
Dispute Arises
Over Job Plan
Knowland Opposed
To Ike’s Viewpoint
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 —yry-
Disagreement has broken out be-
tween President Eisenhower and his
chief lieutenant in the senate, Sen-
ator Knowland of California, over
a new administration program to
combat unemployment.
*ust a week before the opening
of congress next Wednesday, Know-
land called the new policy a dis-
appointment and said he would
back legislation to modify it. He
took that position in the face of
Elsenhower’s statement two days
ago declaring “complete agreement”
with the policy.
The policy is designed to steer
some government defense con-
tracts into areas plagued by large
scale unemployment.
8outhem Democrats voiced bitter
outcries of protest over the pro-
gram, similar to one put into effect
by the Truman administration in
1952 and dropped last August.
Senator Maybank (Democrat,
South Carolina) said in a state-
ment today he would “Introduce
legislation the very first Instant I
can" to prevent the program from
being carried out. ,
Senator Sparkman (Democrat,
Alabama) said the president seem-
ed to be “doing everything In his
power calculated to drive the Dem-
ocrats away from giving him sup-
port on his program." Actually, a
few northern Democrats praised
the unemployment move; the oppo-
sition was concentrated in the
south.
Southern Democrats have also
condemned the policy on grounds it
deprives the southern textile indus-
try of government contracts and
places them in New England towns
hard hit by unemployment.
Knowland told a news conference
late yesterday the order “needs
curtailment” and “leaves the door
open too wide" for government
orders to be set aside from normal
procurement methods.
10 Americans Still In
Soviet Prison Camps,
Freed Soldier Claims
Soldier Ends
Expense-Paid
Junket in Jail
i A
IA N AWOL 20-year-old soldier's
"expense-paid" trip to Cali-
fornia was nipped in the bud
here today when he drove away
from a westslde service station
.•without paying for a tankful of
gas.
He landed In Canadian county
Jail and a whole peck of trouble
j within 25 minutes after speeding
'*way from the station after his
gas tank had been filled.
No sooner had Police Chief Lee
Harvey broadcast a sketchy dea-
. crlption of the swarthy youth and
•'his Kansas car than it was learn -
ed that he was wanted for similar
and worse offenses on up the line
—Including a possible FBI charge
for transporting a stolen vehicle
across s state line.
The soldier who gave his name
as George L. Miller admitted he
was AWOL from Port Scott, Kan.,
after It was learned that he had
driven away from a Claremore
service station earlier today with-
out paying, and that he waa also
wanted in Pryor for passing bogus
checks.
|RS. ROBERT L. JONES, who
* was alone at the Eagle Court
service station when the enter-
prising soldier drove up, said he
.left his motor running while the
tank was being filled. He then
asked for a special brand of oil,
and when Mrs. Jones went after it
ydie drove away.
The woman caUed the police,
giving a sketchy description of
the man and car, but she did
remember that the auto bore a
Kansas license tag.
The police broadcast went out
with that Information, and that
he was last seen heading west—
and the highway patrol did the
rest.
The soldier will not be charged
here. County Attorney James
Phelps said, “That guy has got
enough trouble to hold him for
awhile."
County Works
On Plans For
Tollroad Vote
Canadian county's election board,
kept steadily busy during the post
year, was ready to start the new
year with preparations for another
election.
J. L. Patman, board secretary,
said today he had received two
proclamations from Governor John-
ston Murray setting Tuesday, Jan.
26. as the date for a special election
on two state tollroad proposals.
Registration for new voters will
begin immediately, Patman said,
and precinct registration books
throughout the county are sched-
uled to remain open until Jan. 15.
The election board secretary
added, however, that some vacan-
cies have appeared in the list of
registrars, and that new registrars
to fill these positions are expected
to be announced later In the week.
Canadian county's precincts, re-
duced In number during recent
months in accord with a statewide
economy move, will total 38 for
the election next month.
Officials for the various pre-
cincts, including 16 in El Reno,
were selected by the county board
earlier this month.
WAITS CALL- Mrs. Edith Spencer,
Oklahoma City, mother of Private
Homer Cox released by Russians
Tuesday, isn’t going to move from
phone until she makes connections
on a call to her son which was
promised her by the government.
Mrs. Spencer hasn't had a word
from her son since 1949. (NBA Tele-
photo).
Chamber Sets
Man-of-Year
Award Dinner
Chamber of commerce members
wlU assemble In Etta Dale Junior
hlghschool at 7 p. m. Monday, Jan.
25, for their annual banquet mark-
ing beginning of another year of
civic work.
Lloyd Anderson, chairman of the
chamber’s banquet committee, aald
principal speaker for the banquet
will be W. Van Murchle, Kansas
City, Mo., businessman and philoso-
pher-humorist.
Anderson said final plans for the
banquet were completed at a meet-
ing Wednesday with C. L. Franklin,
committee member, Earle E. Gar-
rison, Incoming chamber president,
and Dow Damron, chamber man-
ager, In the organization’s offices
at the city hall.
A highlight of the event will be
presentation of an award of merit
to some civic figure here who will
be recognized for his leadership
during the past year and for his
service to the community. Chamber
officials said the person to re-
ceive the honor has not yet been
named.
The guest speaker was for 25
years a manager of a Dun and
Bradstreet district office and is a
past president of a Rotary club,
Credit Men's association, Booater
club, chamber of commerce and a
local chapter of the American
Banking institute.
Four of Group Are Identified
By Oklahoma City Man; More
Reported Held in Urals Prison
BERLIN, Dec. 31—(UP)—A United States military
policemar freed from Russian captivity identified four
Americans still held in Soviet prison camps today and said
he knew of six others.
Private Homer H. Cox, 83, of Oklahoma City, who wa#
freed by the Russians Tuesday with Leland Towers, 29,
of San Francisco, Calif., made his disclosure at a press
conference.
Cox identified Americans held in Soviet prison camps as:
Bill Marchuk' of Brackenridge, Pa., arrested in East
Berlin and sentenced to five years in prison.
William Verdine of Starks, La., an armored infantry
soldier who had been stationed at Oburg, Germany.
George Green, son of Leon B. Green, Hollywood, Calif.
An American from Beverly Hills, Calif., whose name
is “something like” Horalsky. |---
El Reno Edges
Poncans, 40-31
Bruce Leads Scoring
With 18; 10 in Second
E3 Reno's Indians, loser of s pre-
liminary against Enid Tuesday,
bounced back Wednesday night hi
the Enid invitational basketball
tourney to trounce Ponca OUT/, 40-
31, for the consolation cup.
Enid’s Plainsmen, in the main
feature, won their own tournament,
by handing Classen's Comets their
first defeat of the season, 11-63.
BUI Brum, leading all acering vita .,
IS points, centered five consecutive
field throws In the second quarter
to give n Reno a 21-16 edga at
halftime, following a first quarter
in which Pones went ahead, 8-4.
The veteran 6-2 forward did moat
of his scoring dose under the . Wild-
cat goal. He got two charity paints
in the first quarter and three more
fielders in the third for his II
total.
Earl Johnson and Jim Archer
contributed 4 and 3 points in the
big second quarter to give El Reno
a total of 17 and their winning
margin.
Here's how they scored.
CHARGE IS DENIED
Charles N. Evans, charged in
county court with obtaining per-
sonal property by means of a false
and bogus check in a case filed Dec.
22, entered a plea of innocent upon
arraignment before Judge Roy M.
Faublon Wednesday. His bond was
set at (1,000 and preliminary hear-
ing was scheduled for 10 a. m„ Jan.
11.
Six American soldiers ar-
rested in Austria whose
names he does not know are
being held in a prison camp
in the grim Ural mountains,
Cox Baid.
It was expected that army
authorities here would send a full
report of Cox's statement to Wash-
ington so the state deportment
could make representations h> the
Kremlin in an attempt to get the
Americans released.
Wae Former Red
Cox said he was drugged and
taken unconscious into East Berlin
where, after being beaten for
months he was sent as a slave
laborer to a Russian coal mine and
finally sentenced to 53 years in
prison.
Towers, a merchant seaman, ad-
mitted he was a former Communist,
and that he had hacked his way
through the iron curtain with an
axe to see the promised land, only
to be imprisoned as a spy.
But Towers said two years in a
Soviet labor camp cured him of
communism, even if they did not
make him a lover of capitalism.
Cox said that in addition to the
Americans he mentioned, the
Russians are holding captive a
Canadian, three Britons and a
Frenchman whom he named.
Canadian Is Named
The Canadian, he said, is Group
Captain Roy L. Linden of the Royal
Canadian airforce who has been a
prisoner for four years.
Cox told In an emotionless,
matter-of-fact voice of his ordeal.
"They beat me and starved me,”
he said. "They stripped me, put
leg irons on me, handcuffed my
hands behind by back and put ad-
hesive tape on my mouth.
Cox said the beatings were ad-
ministered in an attempt to get
him to sign a confession. He said
he refused to sign. Finally, after
32 months of captivity, he said he
was tried without counsel, convict-
ed, and sentenced to 53 years im-
prisonment for “undermining the
German Democratic Republic and
the Soviet occupation forces
10 Biggest 'Little Stories' Listed for Your Lighter Reading
NEW YORK, Dec. 31—(U.R)— man. waa a twti. urk.n *.___
NEW YORK, Dec. 31—(U.R)—
Ten biggest little stories of the
year, conveniently listed and
classified.
Yeuth
In February—In Bristol, Eng-
land, Miriam Pavey, 6,. took toy
sword in hand and went forth to
battle dragons. She plunged her
sword into an electric heeter. In
a trice, the heater short-circuited,
melted its cable, burned a hole
in the gas pipe; gas escaped; an
explosion shook the living room,
another blew the linoleum out of
the hall, a third under the stair-
way set the houae afire. Miriam,
unhurt, aald the dragon won.
Work
In May—In Detroit, Victor
Van Meerbeeck, a telephone line-
man, was up a pole when fire
broke out below and raced up. So
did Victor..At the top, he tapped
a line, called the fire department,
and sweated it out until they
came.
War
In June—In Munsan, Korea,
OIs at the demilitarized armistice
base camp voted Christine Jorg-
ensen “Miss Neutral Zone of
1953.”
Hsme
In July—In Dallas, the R. T.
Baldwins put in a home air con-
ditioner. An hour later, a cold
wave hit Dallas. Their daughter.
Tootle. 5, rushed inside and said:
“For goodness lakes, mama, turn
It off. You're freeing the whole
neighborhood.”
Weather
In August—In Brickette Wood
nudist camp, England, camp man-
ager Bertram Evans reported
American service men were en-
thusiastically Joining the camp,
more and more showing up each
week-end, and explained: "They
like to get out of those hot uni-
forms.”
September—In Washington,
u S. Roes sued for 1116,000
damages, saying he hind a cab.
took a nap in It, woke up, opened
the door, stepped Into thin air,
ud later learned the cab had
bem hoisted up on a grease rack
for repairs.
weather bureau, celebrating its
75th anniversary, predicted “clear
skies, fair weather." Rained all
day.
Life
In November —In Hamilton,
Ont., Paul Wilson sat on a park
bench, noticed a woman beside
him, and turned to her. She
winked. Pour weeks later they
were married. Paul Is 04; his
bride, Lucy, 78.
Death
In December — In Reedsburg,
WIs., fanner Wilbert Harms' bull
stood In Its stall, eyed an electric
light plug swinging on a coni
overhsad, grabbed it, swellowed
It, and got the shock of its life-
electrocution.
Deadly Holiday
Weekend Seen
Traffic Is Expected
To Take 360 Lives
By United Press
The long New Year’s holiday
week-end begins this evening, and
safety experts predicted It would
be a bloody sequel tp the Christ-
mas holiday Just passed.
But in many areas authorities
were taking steps to cut down the
senseless slaughter of holiday acci-
dents by warning drunk drivers
would go to jaU.
Holiday travelers were crowding
air, rail and bus depots but the
crush was less than that for the
Yule holiday, with millions of
Americans electing to stay home.
In most of the country the
weather was expected to be crisp,
but not bitterly cold New Year's
day.
The National Safety council esti-
mated that 360 persons would die
in traffic accidents alone from 0
p. m. tonight until midnight Sun-
day.
At least 533 persons were killed
In highway tragedies daring the
Christmas holiday. Experts said IDs
ton was
EL RENO FG
FT
FT
TP
Bruce ___________g
3
1
IB
Nordman - _______3
o
o
4
Johnson ________4
0
1
•
Archer ___________2
1
3
5
Hale _____________.1
3
4
5
Willis ____________0
0
1
0
Totals _______17
g
16
46
PONCA CITY PG
FT
PF
TP
Tooman------,___2
0
1
4
Clarke ___________2
3
1
6
Parr ___________a
5
2
0
Burpo ___________1
1
0
3
Bonfy ____j______0
3
3
3
Nuckalls __________1
0
0
3
Boring _ . _______1
0
0
3
Dodson __________0
3
0
a
Totals ____ „9
13
1
31
Coach Jenks Simmons will take
his Indians to Ardmore on Tuesday
evening, Jan. 5, then to Duncan on
Friday, Jan. g, before they return
to their home stand for games
against Capital HU], Jan. 13, and
Chickasha, Jan. 15.
The Q Reno *B' squad, «»clit(|
by Kenneth Kamm, will play at
Duncan, and against Capital HOI'S
and Chickasba’s Bees here.
State's Polio
Cases Decline
OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 31—<U»
—Oklahoma suffered only about
half as many poMo cases in 1663
as during the previous year, and
the death rate fell by nearly TO
percent, the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis said today.
The foundation said the state had
633 case* up to the final week m
December. It was almost a repeat
of the count in 1961 when the earn
load was 531, but only half 0( the
1,064 cases recorded last year.
The disease caused 14 deaths In
Oklahoma In 1961, qompared to 46
last year, the foundation said.
The organisation ate
the state rated 9643JMS5 in i
March of Dtanm last Ji
setting anew record tar the
V
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Dyer, Ray J. The El Reno Daily Tribune (El Reno, Okla.), Vol. 62, No. 260, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 31, 1953, newspaper, December 31, 1953; El Reno, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc920494/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.