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Cleanup drive
Participating in a community cleanup effort today were (l-r) Dee Langford, Jocelyn
Harrison, Susie Edwards, Julie Badger, Vicki Adams, Edie Garrard, Ward Simonton and
Mamna Sprayberry. The cleanup was a joint effort by Griffin High students, League of
Women Voters, and the Griffin Chapter of the Georgia Conservancy.
Acid mist scare
chases thousands
CHICAGO (UPI) - A leak in
a huge South Side chemical
plant sent a cloud of potentially
dangerous “acid mist" over a
five-mile long area Friday,
forcing authorities to order at
least 16,000 persons removed
from their homes.
The blue cloud, 12,000 feet
high, sprang from a leak in a
1.2 million gallon tank at the
Bulk Terminal Co. It hung over
the area for hours, lifting in
some sections and falling in
others.
Bell says state
to have bigger hand
in control of crime
ATLANTA (UPI)- The head
of a new state committee inves
tigating law enforcement prob
lems predicted Friday the state
would be playing a bigger role
in crime control in the future.
Sen . Bob Bell, R-DeKalb,
chairman of the Senate Interim
Urban Areas Committee, said
the group would be looking into
crime and enforcement prob
lems in Georgia’s urban areas.
Bell’scommittee investigation
is the second launched in two
days to check into law enforce
ment troubles. Gov. Jimmy
Carter announced Thursday the
creation of a statewide crime
study commission.
The newest committee was
authorized by Lt. Gov. Lester
Maddox, president of the Sen
ate.
Other committee members in
clude Senate Republican Leader
Armstrong Smith of Atlanta,
Sens. Mayion London, D-Cleve
land, James Lester, D - Augus
ta, Tom Moore, R - Atlanta,
and Joe Thompson, D-Smyrna.
“We’re going to dig into the
whole problem of crime and en
forcement problems in Atlanta
and other urban areas to see
what additional assistance the
state might provide to help,”
Bell said.
The committee chairman said
the state would be getting into
the crime fighting situation be
cause “crome doesn’t stop at
the city or county boundaries, it
spills over, and if we don’t
control crime, the people may
decide to take law enforcement
into their own hands.”
“I’m particularly concerned
about the high crime rate in
the metro Atlanta area where
Early today, however, au
thorities told residents they
were “free to return to their
homes,” but they
tioned the police department
could not guarantee their
safety. Most went home.
“Just Horrible”
At least 29 persons were
treated at two local hospitals,
and scores of others were
treated at evacuation headquar
ters, which were first set up at
Washington Carver High School
but later moved to Fenger High
about one - third of Georgia’s
population is concentrated.”
Atlanta ranks first in the na
tion among cities of its size in
homicides. Among the latest vic
tims were two men killed in a
holdup Wednesday.
Bell said he also wanted to
find out what the flap between
Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jack
son and Police Chief John In
man is doing to law enforce
ment in the city. Inman has
filed suit against Jackson to ob
struct the mayor’s plan to name
a public safety commissioner,
with jurisdiction over police,
fire and Civil Defense matters.
The Atlanta Police Depart
ment’s “decoy squad” also is
under fire after officers killed
two suspects during an arrest
attempt. The City Council is in
vestigating the squad.
Bell said he hopes to meet
with law enforcement officials
from across the state and pos
sibly with FBI Director Clarence
Kelley.
He said “The sadistic kidnap
murder of a DeKalb high school
girl in North Carolina earlier
this week makes it imperative
that we take what additional
action that might be necessary
to stop such terrible crimes.”
Bell indicated that legislative
action being considered toward
crime fighting includes more
money for police manpower and
training and possibly legislation
to head off interference by lo
cal officials in police matters.
But he said he would wait un
til after the investigation before
saying specifically what the next
General Assembly might do
about law enforcement.
GRIFFIN
DAI EV S’"' NEWS
Daily Since 1872
School when the fumes seeped
into Carver and people began to
collapse.
The gas, silicon tetrachloride,
produced a burning sensation in
the throat and eyes and caused
nausea and headaches.
“It was just horrible,” said
Mrs. Jesse Hudson, a resident
of the Altgeld Garden housing
development, where most of the
residents were forced to leave.
“The stuff was real thick and
you couldn’t breathe outside.
You couldn’t even see down the
block. People were coughing,
choking.”
First reports were that it was
not dangerous, but toxicologist
Badi Boulos of the University of
Illinois Medical School said the
fumes could be fatal to children
or persons with respiratory
ailments.
National Guard Called
Gov. Daniel Walker flew over
the affected area and then
ordered mobilization of three
National Guard battalions to
aid evacuation and to prevent
looting. But later Friday night,
at the urging of Chicago Mayor
Richard J. Daley, he released
two of the battalions but kept a
military police unit activated as
a precaution.
Commissioners
to talk taxes
ATLANTA (UPI) - With the
desire for property tax relief
overshadowing all else, the 60th
annual convention of the Georgia
County Commissioners Associa
tion opens a three-day run Sun
day.
To make sure they get their
point across, association Presi
dent Ernest Barrett of Mariet
ta said, commissioners plan a
“major confrontation” with can
didates for governor Tuesday
morning. The property tax
question is part of an all-out
campaign by county officials to
broaden the local tax base.
“For too long the property
owner has had to carry most
of the burden of financing local
government,” Barrett said.
The county commissioners,
who expect a turnout of around
1,200 are unified with the Geor
gia Municipal Association on
proposals for local option sales
and income taxes with provi
sions for property tax rollbacks.
Both passed the 1974 General
Assembly, but Gov. Jimmy Car-
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Saturday, April 27, 1974
Griffin Circuit plans
review of jury lists
Judge Andrew Whalen, Jr., of
the Griffin Judicial Circuit will
not have any more sessions of
court in the four-county circuit
until jury commissions have
reviewed jury lists.
He wants to make sure the
lists have representative
numbers of blacks, women and
young adults.
The Georgia Court of Appeals
this week overturned the
conviction of a man in Coweta
County (Newnan) because the
county’s jury lists had fewer
than the representative number
of blacks, women and young
adults.
Judge Whalen said today he
had anticipated such a ruling
and already had talked with
District Attorney Ben Miller
about the matter. He had asked
Miller to get up to date
population information so jury
commissions could use it for a
guide in reviewing jury lists.
Judge Whalen said he had
mentioned the probable review
to clerks of court in Pike and
Fayette Counties but had not
talked with clerks in Spalding or
Upson yet.
A special session of court
which had been scheduled in
Upson May 6 has been called off
in view of the pending jury list
reviews, Judge Whalen said.
He said the reviews would be
done right away so that no
regular sessions of court would
face delays.
Jury commissions in each of
the Griffin Circuit courts review
lists every other year to bring
them up to date.
The counties in the Griffin
circuit include Spalding, Pike,
Upson and Fayette. Jury
commissions in these will be in
session in the next few weeks to
review lists to make sure they
are in compliance with the
appeals Court ruling this week
in the Coweta case.
The Appeals Court in its
decision stated “we reiterate
our previously stated position
that proportional represen
tation of sufficient groups
within the county is not
required,” but it went on to say
that the jury list for Coweta was
not a “fairly represented cross
section of intelligent and
upright citizens of the county.”
Judge Whalen this morning
pointed out that the law
provides for women to exempt
themselves from jury duty. He
said this poses something of a
problem if too many of them
take advantage of the exemp
tions allowed.
Judge Whalen urged women
not to take advantage of the
exemptions so that a
representative number can be
included in the jury lists.
ter vetoed the sales tax propos
al and that killed both since
they were dependent upon each
other.
Carter is scheduled to address
the commissioners Monday.
The agenda also includes a
panel discussion with candidates
for lieutenant governor on Mon
day morning and a talk by Sen.
Herman Talmadge, D - Ga., on
Tuesday. Television newsman
Walter Cronkite speaks at Sun
day’s opening session.
Hill R. Healan of Decatur,
executive director of the com
missioners association, said
local government officials were
“stunned” when Carter line -
item vetoed the SSO million
property tax relief from the
fiscal 1975 budget, The rollback
was begun in 1973, but was not
continued by Carter who said
he was uncertain the money
would be there to finance it.
Healan said county commis
sioners viewed the veto, in ef
fect, as a 50 million property
tax increase.
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Horace Singletary accepts “Boss of the Year” trophy
from Mrs. June Sims of the Women’s Division of the
Chamber of Commerce. He was nominated by his
Mullis
entering
ministry
Bill Mullis will end his work
as director of the adult
education program centered
here to enter the ministry.
He will become pastor of the
East Highland Primitive
Baptist Church in Columbus,
Ga., July 1.
Under the leadership of
Mullis, the adult education
program here, which involves
nine counties, has become one
of the best in Georgia and a
model program.
Mullis is a member of the
Kiwanis Club, treasurer of the
Boys’ Club, and on the man
power planning commission for
Mclntosh Trail Area Planning
and Development Commission.
Supt. D. B. Christie of the
Griffin-Spalding School System
announced the resignation of
Mullis.
Irvin
raps
changes
ATLANTA (UPl)—State Agri
culture Commissioner Tommy
Irvin has condemned U.S. De
partment of Agriculture pro
grams he says would revolution
ize the system for marketing
flure-cured tobacco.
Irvin said he would fight any
move by the agriculture De
partment to set the opening
date for Georgia’s tobacco mar
kets.
Rewrote U.S. Agriculture Sec
retary Earl Butz that the pro
posal to open markets in Geor
gia and the Carolinas on the
same date would bypass state
statutes in existance for 20
years and present a hardship
for Georgia growers.
The state commissioner said
the same opening date would
“severely strain the availability
of buyers on Georgia markets.”
He said it would also make
the selling season much longer
and “would create severe stor
age problems for the Georgia
tobacco farmer who might have
to store and hold tobacco rath
er than move it directly to the
sales floor.”
Irvin wrote Butz that “I shall
resist your bypassing of my au
thority and duty to set the to
bacco market opening dates in
the best interest of the Georgia
growers.”
Vol. 102 No. 101
Boss of the year
Gunmen sought
in theft of art
BLESSINGTON, Ireland
(UPI) — A sweeping police
dragnet sealed airports, har
bors and roads today in a hunt
for a band of gunmen who
methodically stole $19.2 million
worth of paintings in the
highest-priced theft in history.
The manhunt followed the
daring theft of some 16
masterpieces from the home of
Sir Alfred Beit, which contained
one of the greatest art
collections in Europe.
The young gunmen —two
women and three men —
shouted “capitalist pigs!” as
they forced their way into the
Beit’s lakeside mansion outside
Dublin and systematically loot
ed the house.
Police said political ransom
was a “possible motive” for the
robbery.
The robbery was the biggest
in history, according to the
Guiness Book of Records, easily
surpassing the raid on the
Reichsbank’s reserves in 1945
by a group of U.S. military
personnel and Germans who
carried away gold bars worth
$8.4 million.
Works By Goya And Rubens
Included in the robbery was a
Goya, the “Woman in a
Mantilla,” judged to be price
less, while a 17th Century Jan
Vermeer painting, “Woman
Writing a Letter,” was valued
at $7.2 million.
Other works were by such
masters as Metsus, Rubens,
Jan Steen and Valasquez.
Police said the gang, led by
an attractive woman with a
French accent, stole only the
most valuable works and left
less valuable paintings alone.
“It was a very slick and well
rehearsed operation,” a police
spokesman said. “The raiders
knew exactly what they were
about. They were all in their
early twenties.”
In the daring, seven-minute
robbery, the gang burst into the
stately lakeside mansion while
Beit, a 71-year-old member of a
South African diamond family,
and his wife were listening to
records in the drawing room.
They struck Beit on the head
with a pistol when he resisted,
then tied up his household staff
of eight.
No Special Security
“The men burst in shouting
‘capitalist pigs’ and told us that
we were walking on the
working class. One of them put
a revolver against my neck. I
turned and he hit me,” Beit
said early today.
secretaries Mrs. Martha Adams, Mrs. Hazel Chasteen
and Mrs. Brenda (l-r). The award was presented at the
annual secretaries luncheon at the Moose Club yesterday.
Police said Beit had no
special security around his
estate, Russborough House.
“The paintings would be
almost impossible to dispose
of,” a police spokesman said.
“They certainly could not be
sold on the open market.”
The alarm was first raised by
Beit when he succeeded in
working his bonds loose. He
telephoned police and alerted
James White, director of
Ireland’s National Art Gallery.
A prominent art dealer said
early today that “a very
conservative estimate of the
worth of the paintings would be
about $19.2 million dollars.”
Weather
ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY
80, low today 51, high yesterday
80, low yesterday 43, high
tomorrow in upper 80’s, low
tonight in mid 50’s. Sunrise
tomorrow 6:58, sunset
tomorrow 8:12.
Wot
“No matter how bad a fellow
is, he seems worse if he
pretends to be better.”
Hampton man
dies of wound
Josie Franklin Ross of Route
One, Hampton, died last night
at St. Joseph’s Hospital in
Atlanta after he was wounded
in a shooting yesterday af
ternoon at Orchard Hill.
Spalding Sheriff’s in
vestigators said Ross had gone
to the home of Johnny Bell of
Hereford road. They said Ross
fired into the door of the Bell
home twice, kicked it open, then
fired twice at Bell with a .38
pistol.
Investigators said Bell shot
Ross with a .22 pistol in the Bell
home.
Inside Tip
People
See Page 2
Outlook
on fuel
better
ATLANTA (UPI)-A spokes
man for service station operat
ors in the state said Friday the
fuel outlook seems “encourag
ing,” but he urged fuel conser
vation to ward off any trouble.
Jack Houston, executive sec
retary of the Georgia Associa
tion of Petroleum Retailers, said
Georgia could probably get
through the summer on its fuel
supplies “with some vacation
travel.”
But he said “if we don’t con
serve, we are going to have
trouble, if not this summer, in
the fall.”
Houston said an association
survey of some 2,500 service
stations indicated “there is an
80 per cent availability of gas
at the retail level.”
He said the survey tended to
support his prediction that at
least 1,000 stations of the some
6,000 in the state were closed.
Os the first 292 replies receiv
ed, 60 of the stations, or about
20 per cent, had closed per
manently. He said about 20 per
cent of the rest were out of gas
this month.
But Houston added that “I
am encouraged by the circum
stances at the moment.”
The Georgia Motor Club said
its weekly survey of stations
along major travel routes show
ed seven per cent of the 172
contacted were out of at least
one grade of fuel.
The number of stations stay
ing open at night and on Sun
days has increased, however,
and a club spokesman said “we
did not find as many out of fuel
as we had expected.”
The sheriff’s office received a
call about the incident shortly
after noon yesterday.
They said no charges had
been placed against Bell.
A native of South Carolina,
Mr. Ross was a veteran of the
U. S. Navy and a construction
worker.
Among his survivors are his
wife, Mrs. June Belle Hubbard
Ross of Hampton and his
mother, Mrs. Alice Ross of
Pineville, N.C.
McDonald Chapel will an
nounce funeral arrangements.