Newspaper Page Text
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VENIN vJ
By Quimby Melton
Friday Is Valentine Day.
One usually associates Feb. 14
with Dan Cupid. But Cupid
had nothing to do with making
Feb. 14 Valentine Day. However,
once the little god of love man
aged to horn in on the occasion
he took complete charge.
Someone once suggested, with
tongue in cheek, that Feb. 14
be called “Cupidity Day” rather
than “Valentine Day.” But the
suggestion did not get to first
base. Valentine Day is, has been
for years, and will continue to
be.
And just who was St. Valen
tine and who was Dan Cupid?
As a matter of fact there were
two St. Valentines. Both lived
during the reign of Tiberious Cl
audius, Roman Emperor (10
8.C.-54 A.D.) and both because
they were active members of the
early Christian Church angered
the Emperor. Warned that their
support of the new way border
ed on treason and ordered to
stop, they paid no heed and
continued their preaching and
teaching. It so happened that
Claudius was the first Emperor
of the Roman Empire to be el
ected by the army he command
ed and he believed in putting
out a fire at the very first. So he
ordered both Valentines to be
murdered on the very same day.
Now who was Dan Cupid?
Mythology says he was a Rom
an god, the son of Venus. His
father was thought to be either
Mars or Mercury; the paternity
was never agreed on. But re
gardless of this he has taken
over Feb. 14 and reigns as the
god of love.
The earliest reference to St.
Valentine’s Day being anything
but a day of homage to the two
martyred men is found in Bri
tish and French customs of cen
turies ago. It was the practice
in those days, on Valentine’s
Eve for young people to meet in
the town square. The names of
the girls would be placed in a
box and the young men would
draw a name and the damsel
whose name he drew would be
his "Valentine Sweetheart” for
24 hours.
— * —
Valentine Greetings and Gifts
have been in keeping with the
day since its very beginning. To
day the Greeting Card industry,
one of the largest in the world,
says Valentine Greetings run se
cond only to those at Christmas.
At first the Valentine C a r ds
were hand painted then print
ed. Today they are turned out
by the millions. And Valentine
Cards are not the only way ones
love is shown on Feb. 14 for
there are gifts ranging all the
way from candy, flowers, jewel
ry, clothing, furniture and so on
and on and on.
- + —
Here might be some of the
Valentine Greetings certain of
our celebrities may have put in
the mail.
From Governor Lester Mad
dox to members of the Legisla
ture:
Roses are Red,
Violets are blue;
Why don’t you listen to me,
When I send a message to
you.
From'L.B.J. to President Nix
on:
When you fly to Europe
On your good will tour,
There are some things of whi
ch you must be sure
Watch what you eat and don’t
get sick,
Emulate Teddy Roosevelt,
Walk softly, but carry a big
stick.
• f
Country Parson
• -JSW
■ wjp,
• sssgifc
“Heaven is where you'll meet a
lot. of people you thought you
• had escaped.”
Copyright 1969, by Frank A. Clark
German Defector Man Without Country
By TOM TIEDE
WEST BERLIN _ (NEA)—
More than 3.1 million East Ger
mans have fled to the western
world in the years since World
War 11.
Lutz Kirsche, age 22, is one of
them.
But Kirsche is a singular ex
ample. He sometimes wishes
he’d never escaped at all.
This is his story.
Up until last year, Lutz Kir
sche had spent all of his life un
der communism. He was born in
postwar East Germany. He
grew up with that nation’s soc
ialist system.
He says he is not ashamed to
admit he was an enthusiastic be
liever in the system. So much
so that he was an officer and
leader in many Young Commun
ist organizations.
The party looked on him fav
orably, And when he was of age
he was selected to serve in the
politically elite border guard di
vision of he East German mili
tary.
It was an honor. Border guards
are the most trusted of Commu-
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(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo'
Hospital Donation
The Griffin Moose Lodge has donated a suction machine to the Griffin-Spalding
County Hospital. Ben F. Hoard (c) made the presentation. Accepting are Carl
Ridley, hospital administrator, and Miss Elizabeth Branch, director of nursing ser
vice. The machine is used to remove mucous from the throat.
Scouts, Leaders
Awarded Honors
In recognition of National Boy
Scout Week, the Griffin Kiwanis
Club honored Scouts, Cubmast
ers, Scoutmasters and Post Ad
visors Wednesday. Dr. Jim Mar
ion, chairman of the Scouting
committee of the Kiwanis Club,
was in charge of the program.
Tommy Fletcher, district Scout
executive, served as master of
ceremonies and introduced all
guest Scouters.
Dr. Marion made awards to
the following for window dis
plays: first prize, Cub Pack 18,
sponsored by Beaverbrook Sc
hool, Chuck Mobley, Cubmaster;
first prize for the Boy Scout unit,
Troop Seven, sponsored by Dun
dee Mills, V. Ray Howard, Sc
outmaster; outdoor display;
Troop Nine, sponsored by Dun
dee Mills, Harold Johnson. Sc
outmaster: Post award, Troop
and Post 78, sponsored by Han
leiter Methodist Church, Verner
Jimmerson, Scoutmaster, and
Taylor Kitchens, Post Advisor.
The Griffin Kiwanis Club pre
sented advancement trophies for
1968 to Cubmaster Robert
Langford, Cub Pack Three,
sponsored by Third Ward PTA;
Scoutmaster J. L. Tarleton,
Troop 10, sponsored by Thomas
ton Mills and the American Le
gion; and Explorer Post Advisor
Taylor Kitchens, Post 78. These
trophies were presented by Ken
Ford, advancement chairman
for the Spalding district, BSA.
The opening ceremony was gi
ven by Trent Mobley of Pack 18,
DAILY W" NEWS
Daily Since 1872
nists. And the soldiers are high
ly respected.
Kirsche was elated — until he
was told of his border duties.
He was told that if anybody
tried to climb over any wall or
fence, toward the West, he was
to shoot them dead.
The order was stunning. Kill
his own people?
From his various posts along
the border, Lutz Kirsche got a
daily look into life on the west
ern side. He had seldom seen it
before. It looked more active,
more hurried.
But there was something in the
West he knew was there but
couldn’t be seen — freedom.
It was what all the defectors
were seeking. He couldn't under
stand it, since he felt he w a s
free enough, but he thought ab
out it anyway.
The young man never really
became dissatisfied with the
Communist way of life. But the
order to kill defectors began to
eat at him as he regularly wat
ched life in West Germany.
Any day, any time, someone
might try to escape past his
Beaverbrook School, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Chuck Mobley. Jonan
than Kurtz of Post One, sponsor
ed by St. George’s Episcopal
Church, thanked the Griffin Ki
wanis Club for all Boy Scouts in
the Spalding district. He is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kur
tz. The closing ceremony was
by Charles McKemie of Troop
77, sponsored by the South Side
Community Club. He is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Ed McKemie.
The annual father-son banquet
tonight at Spalding Junior High
will end observance of Boy Sc
out Week here.
INSIDE
Spotlight On Youth. Page 2, .3
Editorials. Page 4.
Billy Graham. Page 4.
Television. Page 4.
Hospital. Page 5.
Stork Club. Page 5.
Funerals. Page 5.
About Town. Page S.
Woman’s News. Page 6
Shaw Trial. Page 7.
Wild Dog Bill. Page 8.
Georgia News. Page 8.
People Over 100 Page 8.
Sirhan. Page 9.
Sports. Pages 10, 11.
Rob-Kill. Page 12.
Bentley. Page 12
Rebellion On Campuses.
Page 12.
Comics. Page 13.
Want Ads. Pages 14, 15.
Barbara’s Sister. Page 16.
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Thursday, February 13, 1969
m Up*-—
SgfOf lis I Iwlra Jr
post. Then he would have to duty close to the border, he br
shoot. It was strict law. oke from his post on a dead rim
Finally, the thought of it was to the West. And by the time
too much for Lutz Kirsche. And, his comrades spotted him, he
for this reason only, he decided was safely away.
to escape himself. That was one year ago, this
One afternoon, while on sentry month.
Gets 15 Years
For Robbery
Edward Lee Sims of Griffin
was sentenced to 15 years in
prison this morning in Spalding
Superior Court after pleading
guilty to a charge of robbery
by intimidation.
Sims was arrested last week,
after a robbery at State Loan
Co. on West Solomon street. He
was picked up by Griffin police
less than a half block from the
scene.
The February term of Spald
ing Superior Court ended to
day.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Fair and continued
cold tonight. Friday partly cl
oudy and little warmer in the
afternoon.
LOCAL WEATHER — Esti
mated high today 53, low to
day 23, high Wednesday 57, low
Wednesday 37; sunrise Friday
7:25, sunset Friday 6:25.
Sen. Webb On Sweetheart Bill
It
Senate Okays
Measure
For Campbell
By CHARLES S. TAYLOR
ATLANTA (UPD—The Geor
gia Senate passed the so-called
“Phil Campbell sweetheart bill”
today despite charges by Sen.
Julian Webb that the former
Georgia agriculture commis
sioner could get $27,450 a year
in state and federal pensions.
The “sweetheart bill” would
allow Campbell to receive a
state pension along with a fed
eral pension although he re
signed to become undersecreta
ry of agriculture in the Nixon
administration.
Webb, chairman of the Sen
ate Retirement Committee, said
the bill did not provide financ
ing, and “My friends, it just
ain’t right.”
But Sen. Brooks Pennington
of Madison, a Campbell sup
porter, said Campbell told him
he could not afford the loss of
income for his family’s sake if
he lost the state pension.
“Let’s do for a great Georgi
an the little bit we'can do for
him that won’t cost the taxpay
er one bit,” he said.
Campbell resigned as com
missioner to become federal
Under Secretary of Agriculture
and twin bills were introduced
in the House and Senate to as
sure the popular Democrat
turned-Republican a state pen
sion despite his new federal
job. The bill is worded in a
way that applies only to Camp
bell at present.
The House, which Wednesday
postponed action on its first
major tax controversy, is sched
uled to take up two other tax
measures.
One would remove a sls limit
on professional license fees
levied by local governments.
The other, an administration
bill, would tighten Georgia’s
laws against bootleg cigarettes
and cigars.
The House was also to consid
er a bill aimed at preventing
gas line tragedies like the ex
plosion in a Hapeville nursery
last year that killed nine per
sons. The measure requires gas
companies to file maps of their
underground lines with county
superior court clerks.
In other legislative action, the
House committee on State Insti
tutions and Properties will meet
in the afternoon with members
of the State Board of Correc
tions regarding a report of con
tinuing drug traffic . and other
ills in the prisons system.
“It’s about time someone tells
us what’s going on,” said com
mittee chairman Phillip Chand
ler of Milledgeville. He was dis
turbed by Atty. Gen. Arthur
Bolton’s recent report that in
mates were running the Reids
ville State Prison, where drugs
and illegal liquor still abound.
Vol. 96 No. 36
Today, the young defector is
enrolled in a West Berlin tech
nical school. He has a six-day
a-week schedule in mechanical
drawing; it has been his lifelong
desire.
He also has a small apartment
Ain’t Right’
Slams Icebox Door
On Betty Furness
By HELEN THOMAS
WASHINGTON (UPD— Willie
Mae Rogers, a peppery former
high school teacher from Ten
nessee, slammed the icebox
door shut on Betty Furness.
Miss Rogers is President Nix
on’s new consultant on consum
er affairs. She held, or rather
ran, a news conference at the
first session with reporters. It
was a "happening” of sorts,
and went like this;
Does she plan to consult with
Miss Furness, the onetime tele
vision appliance pitchwoman
who held a similar job in the
Johnson administration?
“On what?” demanded the
woman from Jackson, Tenn.
What did she think about the
way Miss Furness operated?
"Since this is my day, let’s
talk about me—okay?”
What about the fact that she
will get pay from both the
government and Good House
keeping magazine where she
will continue to work? How
much does she make at Good
Housekeeping?
“Well, what a personal ques
tion! I also will not tell you
how old I am and how much I
weigh.”
Might there be a conflict of
interest since she hands out
those “Good Housekeeping seals
'Birdman* Style
Marriage Revealed
ATLANTA (UPD—A 26-year
old brunette who said she be
came fascinated with news ac
counts of a man convicted of
stealing art objects has married
him in a “Birdman of Alca
traz” contract ceremony.
The “wedding” of Phoebe
Hill of Smyrna and Raymond
C. Hill, 36, was effected on
Sept. 25 under a contract drawn
up by Hill’s attorney, Richard
Korem, who confirmed the
marriage Wednesday.
Korem said the marriage is
binding under a 1859 Georgia
court decision and later laws
that hold that cohabitation is
not essential to marriage.
Mrs. Hill, who said it was her
second marriage, said she be
came fascinated with Hill from
reading about his exploits be
fore meeting him on a visit to
the jail.
Hill is currently being held in
the Fulton County .jail while
awaiting an appeal on a convic
tion of a 1964 armed robbery
in which a number of valuable
art objects, including a Goya
painting, was stolen.
“We have a lot in common,”
Mrs. Hill said. “We both love
art. I paint."
Hill, who has been married
In a student dormitory. He has
friends. He has dates. Nice clo
thes. Some money.
But he is not particularly hap
py.
He Is, he explains, still a fugi
tive from his people. They con
sider him a coward, traitor and
deserter. His family is shamed,
his relatives suspect. He is a
nonperson there.
Then too, be adds, he is not
really a member of Western so
ciety either. He will always be
an outsider, he believes. He
thinks he is being watched and
his mail read.
But his principal problem, he
explains, is that the West itself
is disappointing. He has always
heard about the freedom, but he
asks now where it is and what
does it do?
His apartment, for instance.
In East Germany, he says, the
state gives the apartment for
life. It cannot be taken away.
But in West Germany the land
lord can claim it at will.
And employment. In East Ger-
of approval” for products ad
vertised in the magazine and
also would be responsible for
consumer protection at the
same time?
“You-all worry me a little bit.
You’ve got to accept the fact
that I am basically honest.
When I’m here my loyalty and
truthfulness is for the Presi
dent’s benefit. So I don’t expect
any conflict of interest.”
Miss Rogers, middle-aged and
a bit on the matronly side,
stood there in a royal blue
dress and a pink hat, dishing
it out as fast as it came.
The Washington Post today
devoted its lead editorial to
Miss Rogers’ appointment (“the
best that can be said for (it)...
is that it is inexplicable”) and
her news conference ("perhaps
the most frivolous, not to say
fatuous performance of any ad
ministration to date.”)
The editorial — accompanied
by a biting cartoon showing
Miss Rogers holding a telephone
to each ear and captioned “Hel
lo —Good Whitehousekeeping In
stitute” — concluded: “Some
how, the howling impropriety of
Miss Rogers’ own financial ar
rangement seems even less con
sequential than does her evident
lack of qualification for her
job.”
several times before, could be
up for parole in the spring of
1971. Mrs. Hill said she would
wait for him “no matter how
long it takes.”
The contract marriage was
reminiscent of the marriage of
Alcatraz convict Robert Stroud,
known as “the Birdman of Al
catraz.”
Stroud was married by con
tract to a woman who became
fascinated with the birdman’s
canary disease cures.
Appeal Filed
In Smith Case
Attorney Reuben Garland of
Atlanta has filed a motion for
a new trial for Ronald Lee
Smith with the State Supreme
Court of Georgia.
Smith was denied a new trial
by the Spalding County Super
ior Court.
He was convicted of murder
last year in the death of Charles
Vaughn of Griffin.
Reuben and Edward Garland
are representing Smith.
many, he says, the state guar
antees work for all. But in West
Germany each man must go out
on his own to find jobs, someti
mes without success.
And medical care and life in
surance and schooling. On the
other side, he says, socialism ta
kes care of everything.
He says he wonders if people
are really so free in the West
as they believe. In East Ger
many, he explains, the party is
the ruler; in democracy, he
adds, money is.
In both places, he shrugs,
something dictates.
And so Lutz Kirsche is today a
man without a country. He is not
anti-West or pro-West. He is not
pro-Communist or anti-Commu
nist. He is dwelling in the amor
phous middle.
"What can I do?” he sighs.
For the present, he thinks he
will do nothing but sit tight and
continue his studies. He has no
real alternative. He knows if he
tries to escape back home, he
will be jailed — if not shot at the
border by his old pals.
Blacks Take
Building
At Duke U.
DURHAM, N.C. (UPD—Black
students demanding increased
educational benefits today
seized the first floor of the
Duke University Administration
Building and threatened to set
fire to the school’s records if
police entered.
The estimated 30 to 75
rebellious students announced
(Campus rioting. Page 12.)
they had renamed the building
the “Malcolm X Liberation
School.”
Charles Hopkins, of Rich
mond, Va. a spokesman for the
group, said, “We seized the
building because we have been
negotiating with the Duke
administration and faculty con
cerning different issues that
concern black students for two
and a half years. We have no
meaningful results. We have
exhausted all the so-called
proper channels.”
The black students entered
the gray stone building, located
on the wooded campus, about 8
a.m. Close by is the soaring
Duke Chapel where 1,500
students conducted a week-long
sit-in last spring.
The students ordered several
secretaries to leave the build
ing, and then nailed the doors
shut when they did. They piled
up furniture in the main
entrance to the building, but
allowed access by a back
stairway to the second and third
floors.
The students said they had
kerosene with them and were
prepared to burn the school’s
central records if anyone tried
to force them out.
University President Douglas
Knight was on his way back to
Durham from a business trip to
New York, and was due to
arrive later this afternoon.
White students called a forum
for later in the day to support
the Negroes. Duke has an
enrollment of about 7,000. It is a
private institution named for
James B. Duke, founder of
American Tobacco Co. and of
Duke Power and Light Co.
The Negro students presented
officials with a list of demands
including establishment of a
black studies program to be
controlled by black students, a
black dormitory, reinstatement
of black students who flunked
out last semester, an increase
in black student population to
equal 29 per cent by 1973, and
an end to police harassment of
black students.
Other demands were more
black professors, an end to the
university’s “racist policies,” an
end to grading systems for
black students, money for a
black student union, and the
right of non-academic employes
to determine their workinr
ffionriiUon*