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Egood VENIN vF By Quimby Melton Anyone writing a series on Hymns We Love dare not leave 5 out the story of Fanny Jane Crosby, the American woman, who though blind from her birth, wrote more than 6,000 sacred « songs, according to John Julian, great English Hymnody author ity. We have chosen ‘‘Blessed As „ surance” as typical of her best. Some authorities say that Fan ny Crosby’s friend, Mrs. Joseph Knapp, a talented musician sat down at the piano one day in 1873 and composed a “tune”. Fanny Crosby, who was present, was asked "Fanny, what does that tune say to you?” After a t few minutes thought she replied, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine”, and the song that was to be sung round the world was j born. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine I O what a foretaste of glory div ine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of his spirit, washed in his blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day □ long! Fanny Jane Crosby was bom in New York state Mar. 24, 1820. * When she was born her eyes were inflamed and those in at tendance ignorantly applied hot compresses to her eyes. She ■ was blinded for life. Historians say that when the blind child was but eight years old she began to “make up and recite verse”, some of which was written down by friends and published. She received her education at the New York State School for ' the Blind, and on graduating be came a teacher. It was while teaching there that she met Al exander van Alysgyne, a blind • musician, who came to the sc hool as a student. It was also at the Blind School that she met, and formed a lasting friendship ■» for Grover Cleveland, who was to become President of the Uni ted States. Cleveland went to the school as a secretary. Robert Guy McCutchen in “Our Hymnology” chose seven of Fanny Crosby’s hymns to be included in the list of hymns dis cussed. The only other writer of sacred songs who had more chosen than Fanny Crosby is Charles Wesley, who had 72 se lected. (One does not count the ’ 12 hymns written by the myst erious author “Anonymous.”) It is interesting to note that the same authority on Hymno , dy — Julian — says of Charles Wesley, “taking quantity and quality into consideration, Char les Wesley is the greatest hymn , writer in all ages.” The Crosby hymns chosen were: “Pass Me Not, O Gen tle Savior,” “Thou My Everlast ing Portion,” “Savior More Than Life To Me”, “Blessed Assuran ce Jesus Is Mine”, “Near The Cross,” “Rescue The Perishing,” and “I Am Thine, O Lord.” Historians of sacred music say that Fanny Crosby’s songs be came so universally loved that she was signed to contracts by several publishing firms. She was commissioned by one firm to write three original songs a week, which she did, and the firm published a "New Fanny Crosby” song book every week. They led the “best sellers” re port year after year. Fanny Crosby, who began wr iting sacred songs as a small girl continued to write them for some 80 years. She died at Brid geport, Conn, on Feb. 12, 1915. » As long as hymns of “Blessed Assurance” live in the hearts of men, her songs will continue to be sung wherever men of faith ■j assemble. May we suggest? Sunday, Feb. 9, three days before the anniver say of the death of this “sing er of sweet songs” she be honor -5 ed by Fanny Crosby hymns be ing sung in all our churches and at all our Sunday Schools. Weather: FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN AREA — Cloudy to partly cl oudy tonight and Sunday with widely scattered showers. LOCAL WEATHER — Esti mated high today 62, low today 56, high Friday 61, low Friday 55; sunrise Sunday 7:34, sunset Sunday 6:14. B ■■ wwWt Gavel Passing S. R. Morris, (1), New Orleans, was elected chairman of the Entomological Society of America, southeast ern branch, as the group convened in Biloxi, Miss., receives gavel from C. M. Beckham, Experiment, Ga., retiring chairman. Morris is supervisor of the Gulf Region Plant Quarantine Division, United States De partment of Agriculture. Beckham is head of the De partment of Entomology at the Georgia Experiment Station. Violent Deaths Kill 4 In Atlanta ATLANTA (UPD—An Atlanta business executive was mur dered Friday with a blast from a pistol when he opened the front door of his home in a wealthy neighborhood. James W. Hammond, 51, died of a gunshot wound to the chest, allegedly fired by one of two men who then fled the scene. Police investigated four vio lent deaths in the Atlanta area Friday—all of them within an eight-hour period. Mrs. Mildred Hammond, wife of the murdered man, who was head of the Capitol Office Sup ply Co., .related that her hus band answered the front door bell as she stood in a hallway Friday night. The couple had just returned from a grocery shopping trip. Mrs. Hammond said that af ter her husband opened the door she heard him cry: “Oh, my God, no!”, then saw him step back. She said she saw a flash and heard the sound of a pistol. She said she ran to her hus band, who slumped to the floor ran outside and grabbed the hand of one of the men, but was thrust aside as the men fled. Detectives said they had no leads as to the motives in the gangland-type murder. The body of a 37-year-old waitress was found Friday in a wooded area off a road in northwest Atlanta. Investigation showed Mrs. Lurine Lawton died of a ruptured larynz, but it was not known how the in- Country Parson gEB. “Good behavior is contagious — and, unfortunately, so is bad.” Copyright 1%9, by Frank A. Civic DAILY NEWS Daily Since 1872 jury was caused. Police estimated the woman had been dead 12 to 16 hours. Her car and purse were miss ing. An Atlanta mother died Fri day of a gunshot wound suf fered when a bullet intended for her son struck her. ’Homi cide Det. Roland Lane said John Henderson was booked on a murder charge after the shooting. Henderson alleged ly got into an argument with the son of the victim and fired a gun at him. Mrs. Marie Harris, 47, of northeast Atlanta, died of the bullet wound. An apparent shooting accident killed Mrs. Dorothy Jean Ken ner of southwest Atlanta after her husband, Miles Charles Kenner, took a pistol from his pocket and it went off, police said. Terrorists Wound S. Viet General By JACK WALSH SAIGON (UPI) — Terrorists riding motorscooters wounded a South Vietnamese general in a bombing attack near Saigon’s presidential palace today. Com munist gunners fired powerful rockets into the city of Hue, military spikesmen said. Near the northern coastal city of Da Nang, South Vietnamese infantrymen aided by American aircraft and artillery killed 189 Communist troops in a two-day battle, spokesmen said. Four terrorists riding two motorscooters attacked a car carrying Maj. Gen. Nguyen Van Kiem, South Vietnam’s pres idential military adviser, with a plastic bomb and a grenade less than four blocks from the presidential palace. The explosions wounded Kiem and six other persons, and the terrorists dodged police bullets as they sped away. It was the second terrorist attack against a high government official in Saigon in a month. Education Minister Le Minh Tri was killed by a grenade thrown into his car Jan. 6. Communist forces marked the first anniversary of the start of last year’s fierce battle for the former imperial capital of Hue by firing five six-foot-long rockets into the center of the 5-STAR WEOCEND EDITION GRIFFIN Griffin, Ga., 30223, Sat. and Sun., Feb. 12,1969 Irvin Requests $1.6-Million For Inspection ATLANTA (UPI) — Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tom my Irvin requested $1.6 million Friday for a program allowing the state to take over pultry in spection from the federal gov ernment. Irvin made his request as the Joint House-Senate Appropria tions Committee wound up its first week of budget hearings. The committee has another week to meet but Chairman James “Sloppy" Floyd of Trion has indicated the work will not be completed by the end of that period. The Agriculture Commissioner charged the federal inspection program with inconsistency and called for a plan which would neplace federal poultry inspec tors with state employes. His proposal would also call for inspection of chickens which do not travel in interstate com merce. Under the Talmadge - Aiken Act, passed last year by the U. S. Congress, a state may take over its own inspection program with the federal gov ernment paying half the expen ses. Irvin made it clear that his plan was designed to protect the poultry Industry as well as its customers. The Game and Fish Depart ment also appeared before the committee Friday. Director George Bagby said the num ber of registered boats had jumped from 35,000 in 1966 to 100,000 in 1968, necessitating ex tra personnel in his department. Chairman Floyd said the joint Appropriations Committee will probably not vote on a budget until the legislature enacts con crete tax laws. Judge Whalen, Christopher Take Over Judge Andrew Whalen Jr. will preside at his first regular ses sion of Spalding County Super ior Court Monday. The former Griffin Circuit dis trict attorney moved up to the judgeship this week, succeeding Judge John H. McGehee of Tho maston who became judge emer itus. District Attorney Claude Christopher of Griffin who suc ceeded Whalen will function in his new office for the first time at Monday’s court session, also. No civil session of court will be held this term. Grand jurors will meet when court opens at 9 a.m. to hear a charge from Judge Whalen. They will consi der indictments and make grand jury investigations of county of fices. Indictments returned at this session of the grand jury are ex pected to be put on the criminal session the week of Feb. 10. city today. The attack, the first on the northern city since the Nov. 1 bombing halt of North Vietnam, wounded seven civi lians, spokesmen said. An estimated 500 Communist troops early today attacked a U.S. artillery base 45 miles north of Saigon, but they were driven back. American casualties were listed as two killed and 31 wounded. Three Communist dead were found outside the base perimeter. President Thieu said today at Ban Me Thout in the Central Highlands that he has “agreed in principle” to declaring a truce in fighting during the Tet holidays which begin Feb. 17 and end Feb. 20. The Commu nist already have announced plans for a Tet truce starting Feb. 15 and lasting seven days. Thieu said he would hold a news conference in Saigon next Thursday. Thieu attended ceremonies at which more than 5,000 Montag nard tribesmen pledged their loyalty to the government. American 852 bombers flew six raids over South Vietnam Friday night and today. They struck twice in the Central Highlands, once in the Mekong Delta and three times in provinces around Saigon. Jackson Man Burns In Auto Accident Demonstrators Spend Night At Chicago U. By United Press International Three-hundred demonstrators spent a second night in the administration building of the University of Chicago—their morale buttressed by a blues jam session and S2OO worth of food. The final day of the semester at San Francisco State College Friday saw some 600 student strikers and supporters —of whom 456 were appearing court after arrests nine days ago— sing, chant and jeer for four hours before the judge threa tened them with contempt. Hopes were dim the strike, begun Nov. 6 by two minority student groups, could be settled by Feb. 17, when the new semester begins. At the University of California at Berkeley, striking minority students formed two lines of about 400 each and conga danced on Sproul Plaza to chants of “On strike, shut in down.” Striking students at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, N.J., staged a teach-in Friday to demonstrate their demands for a greater say in policy mattes. A handful of teachers joined about 50 to 100 pickets who 'marched before two buildings of the 2,500-student campus. At Chicago Friday, demon strators strengthened their oc cupation of the six-story Admi nistration Building of the 8,600- student school to show their displeasure at the administra tion’s firing of Mrs. Marlene Dixon, a sociology professor. The students said she was fired for her political beliefs; the university denied it. Student spokesmen said S2OO more worth of food was brought in and the demonstrators— who began their occupation about noon Thursday—were prepared to stay indefinitely. A guitar and blues-singing were heard until the morning hours. At San Francisco State, which has 18,000 students, Friday’s occurences seemed to indicate there was no settlement of the trouble that led to the arrests of hundreds in clashes with police was in sight. At Berkeley, with 28,000 students, Dean of Students Arleigh Williams watched the conga dancing, and said, “our strategy of limited police action” seemed to be working. There were no arrests. Maddox Outlines Plans For Six Region Prisons By MARCIE RASMUSSEN ATLANTA (UPD — Gov. Lester Maddox Friday outlined plans for six new regional pri sons which he said would bring about “a real prison reforma tion.” The half dozen new institu tions, which would be funded by the governor’s newly - proposed budget, would contain 150 in mates each. Three similar pri sons are already under con struction. Maddox said he hoped about 25 per cent of the prisoners would hold full-time jobs in a special work - release program that would encourage good be havior among the inmates and cut back on state expenses for maintaining their families. But Maddox, meeting with his legislative leaders, State Cor rections Director Robert Carter and highway department of ficials, was more emphatic about placement of the prisons. He said choice of the sites would not be “political or hap hazard.” There was talk during the meeting of placing the six complexes near interstate roads so inmates, if placed on the state payroll, could maintain the highways. Vol. 96 No. 27 Man Surrenders Wife, Hostages By DREW A. ROY LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (UPD— A man who held his wife, a doctor and a nurse at gunpoint Friday and threatened to kill them and himself was in an Arkansas hospital today at his own request. James Sweet, a chemical employe in his early 30s, handed his gun to his friend, Russ Harris, and walked out of the sixth floor office with Harris and his three captives. Harris and Dr. Stuart Harris Cairo Paper Says Hangings ‘Badly Handled’ By WILBORN HAMPTON United Press International The semi-official Cairo news paper Al Ahram said today Iraq’s public hanging of 14 persons was "certainly not a heart-warming sight” and the whole thing was badly handled. Israeli religious leaders said Jordan had sentenced to death two persons as spies. Al Ahram, which usually reflects opinions of President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s govern ment, wan replying to Baghdad Radio charges that Arab nations had failed to take Iraq’s side. Al Ahram said Iraq had a sound case for convicting the 14 persons including nine Jews as spies. They were hanged Monday. “But what makes us hesitate is the manner in which the whole thing was handled ...” Al Ahram said. In Rabat, the Moroccan news agency Maghreb Arabe Presse said the Baghdad hangings were “a lamentable spectacle and a monumental psychological er ror." It said the hangings were for Israel “a golden chance ... to arouse in its favor world opinion that had started to realize the extent of Zionist crimes and incline it towards the Arabs.” Baghdad Radio said in a broadcast heard in Beirut that it had begun no new spy trials although it was investigating some espionage cases. Iraqi Information Ministe Abdullah Salloum Samarrai denied Western reports that from 35 to 62 men were already on trial as spies. In the United Nations the Iraqi delegation said Israel may be deliberately waging a propaganda campaign against the hangings to prepare the climate for an attack on Iraq. Stock Brokers To Move Office Thomas and McKinnon, Inc., will move its New York Stock Exchange office from Griffin and merge it with the Atlanta office, 230 Peachtree street, ef fective Monday. The office has operated in Gr iffin on West Taylor street with Carl Kelley as manager. Nixon May Visit Paris Peace Talks By GEORGE SIBERA PARIS (UPD—Western diplo matic sources said today President Nixon’s expected visit to Paris would allow him to take a first-hand look at the talks on Vietnam and discuss a solution to the conflict with French President Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle is following the talks closely. He is the official host. His foreign minister, Michel Debre, is in close contact with the four negotiat ing parties—North Vietnam, the Viet Cong, the United States and South Vietnam. For Nixon to start his planned European trip by stopping first talked to Sweet for s '/a hours after the gunman walked into the University of Arkansas Medical Center about 3:30 p.m. to see his estranged wife, Theora. At about 9 p.Sn. he gave himself up. “You’re not afraid until it’s all over," Harris said. “After ward I was scared to death.” Police said Sweet visited his wife, who worked at the medical center, after she had filed for divorce earlier in the afternoon. When they met, police said, Sweet pulled a gun and forced her and Polly Wilson, a nurse, into a nearby office. Dr. Jerry Jones was held as a hostage in an adjoining office. After repeated conversation with the Dr. Harris and Harris, Sweet agreed to let the women go and kill only himself. He eventually handed Harris the .22 caliber pistol. Sweet then was detained for , tests in another part of the [ medical center. Police said t charges will not be filed until . after the psychiatric examina tion tests are completed. i i r Man Wounded t ■ Cleaning Rifle A Williamson man was acci- J dentally shot in the chest Frl ; day night when a rifle he and j another man were cleaning accidentally discharged. Roger S. Huff of Route One, ' Williamson, was admitted to the ' Griffin-Spalding County Hospital where he was listed in fair con dition this morning. Huff and Larry Malone of 176 Grady street, Griffin, were cl eaning the .22 caliber rifle In the back yard of the Huff home, according to Spalding Coun ty deputies. Col. Sanders, Maddox Swap ATLANTA (UPD—Gov. Les i ter Maddox swaped fried ’ chicken talk Friday with a former competitor, Col. Har • land Sanders of Kentucky. i ; “He tried to be a competitor r of mine,” said the 79-year-old colonel who created the popular . “Kentucky Fried Chicken” r chain. S’ “I’ve admired so many things ‘ he (Maddox) has done. Georgia ' is not a laughing stock any ’ more, nor a speed trap,” he said. Sanders was here attending a chiropractors convention and ■ dropped by to see the governor, ■ whose chicken he used to eat 1 at the Pickrlck Restaurant. “That was mighty good chick en," said Sanders, talking ■ about Maddox’s Pickrlck brand, i “It helped put him in the gov ernor’s chair.” in Paris, the home of the Vietnam peace bargaining, would have worldwide psycholo gical impact, Western diplomats said. De Gaulle lately has refrained from commenting publicly on Vietnam to keep neutral while the four are engaged in the difficult talks. But he still is reported to consider as valid his 1966 proposal to neutralize the whole strife-torn Indochinese ' peninsula. De Gaulle has 1 claimed that peace would be restored rapidly in Vietnam if [ the United States committed . itself in advance to a firm date Fatality Was Eight In January A Jackson man burned to dea th Friday afternoon at 4 o’clock when he was pinned in the wr eckage of his automobile two and a half miles south of Juliet te on Georgia 87 in Monroe Co unty. Dennis Michael Reese, 19, of Route Two, Jackson, was dead on arrival at the Macon City Hospital. Troopers from the Griffin Post of the Georgia State Patrol said the car apparently ran out of control and overturned several times. Reese was trapped inside the car when it caught fire and burned. The fatality raised the toll in the five county area covered by the Griffin Post to eight for Jan uary. This compares with six for the same period last year. The five-county area includes Spalding, Lamar, Butts, Monroe and Henry Counties. Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reese of Jackson; two brothers, Eddie Reese of the U. S. Army station ed in Germany, and Rickey Reese of Jackson. He was a graduate of Jackson High School and a member of the Macedonia Baptist Church. He was employed by the Avon, dale Mills of Jackson. Funeral arrangements are in complete, pending the arrival of his brother from Germany. Sherrell Funeral Home will be in charge of arrangements. Farm Bureau Backs Local Cut For Education MACON, Ga. (UPI —The Georgia Farm Bureau Federa tion said Friday it would sup port a House bill to decrease the local share of the state ed ucation burden because it would make life easier for property owners. Farm Bureau President Wil liam L. Lanier said the bill, in troduced by Rep. Hines Brant ley of Metter, would “restore confidence in a person”s want ing to own a home, business or land” by easing the pressure of property taxes. Brantley’s bill would increase the state’s share of the educa tion burden to 90 per cent, a 10 per cent jump over the re quirements set by the Minimum Foundation Program. At present, counties and cities must pay 18 per cent of the cost and the state 82 per cent. “The present trend lessens a person’s desiring to own prop erty,” Lanier said, adding that the politically powerful Farm Bureau would support the bill with chapters in 157 of the state’s 159 counties. at which it would withdraw its expeditionary force. The impact of Nixon’s visit on the development of the Vietnam talks was being studied while the four negotiating teams were preparing for their third session next Thursday. Meanwhile the Paris talks remained in a blind alley with the Communist side urging top priority for the discussion of political problems and the Allies insisting that military deescala tion must be negotiated first. Observers predicted it may take six months to break the deadlock over whether political or military issues will be discussed first.