Oklahoma City Times (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 79, No. 79, Ed. 1 Tuesday, May 21, 1968 Page: 1 of 24
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‘It Just
Wasn’t
My Ti
Gutted hulk of IM7 Cad-
illac wan all that remained
after an explosion Tuesday
morning demolished the
vehicle owned by Judge
Kirksey Nix. "It just
wasn't my time,” said the
judge, who was in his rapi-
tol office at time of the
blast. Cause of the explo-
sion has not been deter-
mined. (Times Staff Photo
by George Tapscott.)
Explosion at Capitol
RIBBONS, RIBBONS AND MORE RIBBONS will be given to winners in the
Oklahoma City Charity Horse Show and 11-year-old Tina Blanton longs to win
several for her riding in the academy equitation competition. Daughter of the
d. Blantons, Oklahoma City, she's in her first year of competition riding.
The horse show, which opens at 7: 30 p m. Tuesday for a five-night stand in the
State Pair Arena, will benefit Children s Memorial Hospital. (Staff Photo by Al
McLaughlin) _______
Rips Judge Nix’s Car
paid Circulation 301.614 Evening-Morning Daily Average April
Oklahoma City Times
VOL. LXXIX. NO. 79
ENURE CONTENTS COPYRIGHTED l»«8 OKLAHOMA PUBLISHING CO . SCO N BROADWAY
24 PAGES-OKLAHOMA CITY. TUESDAY. MAY 21. 1968
Today’s
Xetcs
Today
Ten Cents
Probers
Searching
For Cause
LBJ Asks $3.9 Billion More
WASHINGTON (AP) —
President Johnson asked
congress Tuesday (or an
additional $3.9 billion to
support military opera-
tions in Vietnam and South
Korea.
The extra money would
boost estimated defense
spending dc-:ng the fiscal
year ending June 30 to
$76.2 billion — up from a
January forecast of $73.7
billion.
Of the $3.9 billion, the
bulk would be earmarked
for Vietnam. But $230 mil-
lion would go to Korean
operations and $300 million
to meet any now-unfore-
seen emergency.
The figure is higher than
the forecast $2.5 billion in-
crease in actual spending
because some of the ap-
propriations sought would
not actually be paid out
until later.
In a letter to House
Speaker John W. Mc-
Cormack (D-Mass.) John-
son said his request was
urgent and hp called for
"prompt and favorable
consideration.”
"Our hope is — and all
our energies are directed
toward achieving a just
peace as quickly as possi-
ble." he said. "However,
until peace comes, we
must provide our fighting
men with all the support
that they need to carry out
their missions and to pro-
tect their lives."
In a second letter, John-
son asked for supplemen-
tal appropriations of $791 6
million for the current
bookkeeping year to foot
the bill for civilian and
military pay increases
congress voted in Decem-
ber. This amount would be
in addition to $177 million
sought in a request sub-
mitted in March.
Deputy Secretary of De-
(See JOHNSON—Page »)
Car Crash Fatal After Ceremonies
Youth Graduates and Dies
CORDELL — An 18-
year-old farm boy who
A graduated from high
W school Monday night was
killed early Tuesday as he
drove home following a
celebration dance and
breakfast.
Menno Enoch Sperle jr.
apparently went to sleep
behind the wheel of his car
as he approached within
one-half mile of his rural
home near Bessie, the
highway patrol said^_
He was among at least
six youngsters injured in
accidents involving high
school graduates in the
pre-dawn hours Tuesday.
Sperle, described by his
high school principal as an
••excellent, all-around
boy,” attended an Ameri-
can Legion dance in Cor-
dell following graduation
ceremonies at Bessie
High. He did not have a
date.
After the dance, a break-
fast was held for the grad-
uated seniors and Sperle
left for home shortly after
2 a.m.
He was killed about 3
a.m. when his car hit an
abutment on the US-183
bridge over Boggy Creek
north of Cordell.
Trooper Monte M. Green
said Sperle’s car was trav-
eling about 85 miles an
hour and left no skid
marks as it "hit the bridge
abutment dead center.
Cityan Makes.
A Big
, Splash
Attorney
Acquires
Huckins
Need help? Write to Oklahoma City Times, P. O.
Box 25125, Oklahoma City 73125 or telephone CE 2-3311
between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday
and ask for "Action Line.”
Five days a week I travel Reno and S Byers and
have to drive through a puddle of water that stands at
the intersection 365 days of the year. Could you get
something done about this? Mrs, J. J. C.
We reported this to the street maintenance division
and as a result it has opened the drainage ditch leading
to the east of the intersection. A department spokesman
says he believes this will solve the problem.
In the JW Mock SE 26 there in a refrigerator stand-
ing outslfle nad It ntlll has the door on it. This is danger-
ous hrrMiri a little child could get locked Inside. B. F.
We iMjOrtftd this to Maj. Wayne Lawson, police scout
car commander, and he sent an officer to investigate. As
a result, the refrigerator has now been moved.
•
There are three trees in our alley and the roots are
growing into our sewer. How can we get the trees re-
moved? They are oa clly property. Mrs. K
Sorry, but Robert McClanahan, sewer maintenance
division superintendent, says these trees are not interfer-
ing with the city’s sewage system and the city has no
reason to move them.
•
There have been several accldenta at NW 14 nad
(See ACTION LINE—Page I)
An Oklahoma City lawyer
became the legal owner
Tuesday of the old Huckins
Hotel, which was sold at a
sheriff's auction last week.
Robert G. Buchanan, 33,
who was admitted to the bar
eight years ago, acquired
the hotel by purchasing the
interest of George Hanlin,
81- y e a r - o 1 d Chevy Chase
Md., investor.
Hanlins lawyer said Bu-
chanan got an assignment of
Hanlin's $1.3 million court
judgment against the prop-
erty before the public auc-
tion was held.
The sale price was not dis-
closed, but Hanlin’s attorney
said it "was not dollar for
dollar."
Buchanan said he has
partners in the venture, but
would not reveal them.
He also declined to say
what the building will be
used for.
Sit-In Started
HONOLULU (AP) -
About 130 singing, cheering
demonstrators began a sit-in
Monday at the UniversUy of
Hawaii administration build-
ing In a controversial faculty
tenure case.
• 1
tearing out the cement
bannister as far as it
went.”
The car was out of con-
trol for 120 feet before im-
pact. then overturned. The
rear wheels were driven
forward under the car by
the force oi the crash,
Green said.
The youngnter had not
been drinking. Green said.
Sperle was the son of
Mr. and Mrs. M e n n o
Sperle of Bessie.
In a 2 a.m. accident, five
youngsters who graduated
Monday night from New-
castle High School were in-
jured when their car went
out of control at the inter-
section of US-62 and S-9
near Blanchard and struck
a highway sign.
The driver. CIpo R. Dut-
ton. 18, was reported in
fair condition Tuesday in
Norman Municipal Hospi-
tal with seven broken ribs,
a broken right arm and
numerous cuts and bruises
on the legs and head.
Two passengers — Joyce
Rogers. 17, who suffered
head and chest injuries
and a broken arm, and
Lenora Simmons, 17, who
received a broken arm and
head injuries — also wore
hospitalized al Norman.
State Bond
Law Axed
By Court
A 1967 Cadillac belonging
to Kirksey Nix, president
judge of the state court of
criminal appeals, exploded
,in flames in a state capitoi
i parking lot Tuesday, shatter-
ing capitoi windows and
scattering large pieces of de-
bris over the capitoi
grounds.
No one was injured.
Slate crime bureau agents,
members of the state fire
marshal’s office and Oklaho-
ma City police launched an
investigation to determine
cause of the powerful blast.
* which shook the capitoi
1 building.
Tanks Responsible?
Investigation centered on
the possibility that supposed-
ly empty tanks of aeyeteler.e
and oxygen in the trunk of
the car had leaked volatile
I gas that somehow was ignit-;
I ed.
The blast occurred at 9:27
a.m. in the west capitoi j
parking lot in a section re-
j served for state officials.
Judge Nix had parked the
car about 8:10 a.m. and was I
in his second floor office j
when the car exploded.
Spectators said the trunk
•V.4s^ -Kimi
State capital window as shattered b.v blast.
French Rebels
Due Amnesty
The state supreme court
ruled invalid Tuesday a 1967
law intended to make county
industrial bond issues more
attractive to bond buyers. Spectators said the trunk PARIS (AP) — The French cabinet, faced by an ever-
As a result Caddo County lid of the car blew high in expanding economic paralysis and the threat of parliamen-
commissioners apparently the air when the explosion tary censure, decided Tuesday there should be no punish-
will be unable to sell the last occurred. ™ent, f‘>r students charged with violence in street fighting
$715 000 of a $,} 8-million Debris Scattered j !“at *e(^ int0 nallon s strike crisis,
bond issue voted" April 5 Some of the debris from Summoned by President Charles de Gaulle, the minis-
1966 to snare new industry the demolished car was,'ws approved an amnesty bill at a 25-minute meeting. In-
The court noted that if the found hundreds of feet away, formation Minister Georges Gorse announced the bill, for-
law hadTbeen found cons, tu- wetion was in ,tlP mid‘ giving a" chafgPS against s,udPnts excePl ,heft irt Pcri*
law had been found lonstitu-i .. . . .,......0d between February 1 and May 15, will be submitted to
iir.mt if hivo pnahleH 'Ho of the street on the west
tional, it would have enabled ^ ^ ^ oapito|. parliament Wednesday for ratification.
Another large chunk of The hill would affect 44 students — 21 already convict*
metal landed on thp capitoi'of charges growing out of riots and 23 who are facing
grounds and still another charges,
was blown atop a car in an
SHOWERS
Local: Occasional show-
ers and warmer through
Wednesday. Overnight low
54. High Wednesday 72.
Chance of rain 60 percent
through Wednesday. (De-
tails, Page 17)
HOURLY TIMRiRATURI
100 A.m.
cM *.m.
A.m.
Caddo and 15 other counties
in the state where voters
have approved industrial is-
sues to offer greater security
to bond buyers.
Requirement Set
The ruling did not affect a
county's ability to vote in-
dustrial bonds, which was
written into the constitution
by a 1962 amendment.
The amendment permits
both cities and towns to levy
taxes up to five mills on the
dollar to retire industrial
bonds voted by their people.
Wary bond buyers made a
requirement; of their own
that they would not give the
bonds a market rating un-
less the county or city
agreed not to issue more of
such bonds than could be
covered 1.5 times by the 5-
mill levy.
Bill Panned
Bond buyers made the re-
quirment because a decline
in properly valuations would
result in a reduction of the
tax produced by the 5-mill
levy. In case a city or county
had issued its full bond load
and there was a revenue
failure, it would have to de-
fault on some of the bonds.
The legislature attempted
to remedy the situation by
enacting a law permitting
cities and counties to levy a
special tax in case of bond
revenue failure, and this was
at issue in Tuesday’s law-
suit.
Edgar L. McVlcar of Ana-
darko brought the action
(See BONDS—Page 2)
Premier Georges Pompidou faced the national assem-
employVs parking lot across!b*y lor debate on a censure motion expected to come to a
the street from the site of
the explosion.
"It's a good thing no one
was in the immediate area."
said Lt. Gov. George Nigh,
who witnessed the explosion.
"That explosion could have and iob spcurny.
killed somebody." ! Far from abating, the
Several cars in the vicinity strike wave which has idled
were severely damaged — more than six million work-
particularly the cars parked
vote Wednesday night. The governing Gaullist coalition ex-
pressed confidence it would!
survive the vote, but gave no
indication what it would do
about the workers' revolt for
higher pay, shorter hours
FDA Head
Resigns
ers was still spreading. A
on either side of the Nix vo- Paris newspaper estimated
hide. about half of France's 16
'•I've got a second life giv-i million workers would be
en to me." Nix said as he|away from their jobs
looked at thp wreckage.
Nix expressed doubt the
welding tanks in the trunk of
his car caused the explosion.
"They wore empty,” he market closed. It was art-
said. nounced the market could
The judge said ho had not function because of com-
munications difficulties and
WASHINGTON (AP) —
The resignation of Dr.
James L. Goddard, commis-
sioner of food and drugs,
was announced Tuesday by
by Welfare Secretary Wilburt J.
Cohen.
Dr. Goddard, who has
Though its own stall headed the food and drug ad-
showed up. the Parts stock ministration for almost 2> j
night (all.
Stock Market Chi'-es
(See BLAST—Page 2)
What's Inside
Amusements H
Bridge »
Business News 16
Clas-ifled Section 17-28
Comics 15
National Affairs $
Oil Reports 17
Our World Today 7
Sports 13, 14
TV Tidbits 10
Vital Statistics 17
Women's News 8, 9
Want Ads CE 54721
Other csSa CE MSI
a lack of orders.
Indirect effects also hit
Simca. a French automobile
company controlled by the
Chrysler Corp.. of the United
States. Simca closed its
plants at Poissy and La Ro-
chelle. employing about 30,-
not) workers. Management
said the decision was duo lo
a shortage of parts from sub-
contracting firms affected
by strikes.
The strikes s’opped trains,
subways, buses, taxis and
garbage collection in Paris
and closed coal mines, air
(See YOUNG—Page 2)
years, will leave July 1 to
move to Atlanta to join a
data processing company.
Goddard. 45. a career offi-
cer. was one of the most out-
spoken and controversial of-
ficials in the top levels of
government.
He caused a furor within
the past year when he said
he thought alcohol was more
dangerous than the drug
marijuana. But he later
pointed out that marijuana
Is extremely dangerous. And
on the hallucinogenic drug
I2SD, Goddard differed with
the administration over pro-
posed new curbs. Goddard j
held that possession of USD'
should not be made illegal,
as proposed In an admiols-'
(ration bill.
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Gaylord, E. K. Oklahoma City Times (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 79, No. 79, Ed. 1 Tuesday, May 21, 1968, newspaper, May 21, 1968; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc993150/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.