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Here are some things you can do to prevent crime
Griffin and Spalding County law officials agree that
individuals will have to start protecting themselves
against the rising tide of crime.
They should stop depending solely on police and courts
to make themselves and their homes safe from criminals,
lawmen said.
As Public Safety Director Leonard Pitts put it, “The
people had better get smart and try to help themselves.
Policemen can’t do it all. The people will have to help,
too.”
Chief Pitts said many crimes in Griffin could have been
prevented if the victims had taken precautions.
A rash of thefts from cars have occurred in recent
weeks, he said, because citizens had left their pocketbooks
and other valuables in unlocked cars, on the seats — in
plain view.
“Women leave purses in shopping carts while they are
looking over the merchandise; children leave bicycles in
yards; keys are left in cars; residents go off and leave
house doors unlocked.
“Most burglaries and thefts from homes occur when a
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Turkey day
on his mind
Holiday for 900 prisoners
ATLANTA (UPI) - Nearly
900 carefully selected state
prisoners will be going home
for Thanksgiving with 58-hour
passes during the holiday
period.
State corrections officials
announced Tuesday that there
will be 893 furloughs issued
Symphony man gets
back missing violin
ATLANTA (UPI) - Atlanta
Symphony violinist Benjamin
Picone got his stolen |60,000
violin back Tuesday for S2OO.
“I’ve never, ever been
happier,’’ said Picone. “I’ve
really got it back. It feels so
wonderful, so blessed wonder
ful.”
The violin, made by famed
Italian violin-maker Guadagnini
in 1781, was stolen from
Picone’s car last Oct. 3 while
he was inside a case drinking
coffee with friends. Picone had
offered a $5,000 reward but had
heard nothing until he was
contacted by telephone Tuesday
by a suburban couple.
The couple, whom Picone
Griffin stores all set
for Christmas shopping
Some 55 firms here will
participate in the After-
Thanksgiving promotion which
will begin Friday.
The promotion annually has
signaled the beginning of the
Christmas shopping season.
Participating merchants and
firms have been busy the last
few weeks stocking their stores
with holiday items in
preparation for the season.
The promotion is expected to
bring thousands of people to
Griffin this weekend.
Participating in the
promotion will be:
Rhodes Furniture Co., The
Furniture Shop, Sigman Buick-
Opel, Inc., Cain’s, Maxwell
Marvin Madaris, eight-year-old student in the second grade at Fourth Ward, works on a
turkey drawing for the Thanksgiving Holiday season. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh
Madaris, 1040 West College extension.
from 8 a.m. Thursday through 6
p.m. Saturday for prison
trusties, under a law passed by
the 1972 General Assembly.
Prison records indicate that
of 6,630 inmates given holiday
furloughs since the program
began, only 23 have failed to
return or have gotten into
said wanted to remain anony
mous to avoid publicity, said
they had bought the violin three
days after it was stolen and did
not know of its origin until they
read about it in a local
newspaper Tuesday afternoon.
The man, who collects
violins, said he bought the
violin from a youth “who
seemed to need money and
asked for $200,” Picone said.
Picone said he described the
violin to the couple and then
met them to claim it.
“They said they only wanted
to get the S2OO they had put into
it,” said Picone. “They said
they wouldn’t even consider
taking the reward.”
Home Furnishings, Jim
Pridgen Hardware Co.,
Southern States Printing Co.,
Cartledge Furniture Co., Hill’s
Tire Store, Beaty Auto Parts,
Whitmire Jewelry, Cronic
Cheverolet, Inc.
Eleanor Shops, Inc., Hen
sley’s Office Equipment, Jones-
Harrison Furniture Co., Akins
Feed & Seed Co, Inc., Tonkin
Casuals, Morrow-Powell
Clothing, Buy-Rite, Ralph’s
Take Home Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Smith-Roberts Co.,
Sears’, Batton & Jackson Quick
Tire.
Saul’s, The Gentry Shop,
Bishop’s Clothing, Carpets of
Griffin, Claxton’s Pharmacy,
house has been left unlocked and all a thief has to do is
walk in.
“People make stealing easy,” Chief Pitts said.
According to Capt. Wallace Pitts, who heads the police
deaprtment’s detective division, six auto thefts were
cleared a couple of weeks ago with the arrests of some
juveniles. They had picked the cars to steal with keys left
in them, Capt. Pitts said.
“Every year around Christinas time, we get more and
more complaints of thefts from cars. Packages in open
view, even though the car is locked, attract thieves.
Anything valuable should be locked in the trunk,” Capt.
Pitts stressed.
Merchants could avoid many bad check incidents if they
would only require proper identification, he noted.
“Every week we have reports of forged and stolen
checks being cashed. Most of them were cashed because
the merchant did not ask for proper identification.
Everybody makes mistakes, though, even banks,” he
stated.
Before cashing a check, a merchant should ask to see
trouble while at home on
furlough.
All of those who escaped
during their furloughs are now
back in custody.
The inmates given furloughs
are screened at their various
institutions and at the central
corrections office in Atlanta.
Picone, who had purchased
the violin 12 years ago from an
NBC Symphony conductor, said
he intended to sell it next year
to finance the college educa
tions of his four children. The
violin had been insured for half
its value but Picone was told he
couldn’t collect on an item
stolen from an unattended car.
Picone said his gratitude to
the couple who returned the
violin is boundless.
“If you’d set out to find a
middle-America, down-to-earth
respectable family, you
couldn’t have picked out a
more perfect example,” he
said.
Cole’s Drugs, Wynne’s
Jewelers, Goode-Nichols
Furniture Co., Easterwood’s
Shoes, O’Kelley’s Furniture
Co., Fashion Shops, Jerrie &
Don’s.
Collin’s Men’s & Boy’s Wear,
The Bonnie Shop, Rose’s -
Spalding Square, Randall &
Blakely, Inc., Carden Furniture
Co., Crouch’s, Griffin Sales &
Service, Fisher Hardware Co.,
Leonard’s, Godard Clothing Co.
The Griffin Daily News, First
Federal Savings & Loan Assn.,
Griffin Federal Savings & Loan
Assn., The Bank of Griffin,
Commercial Bank & Trust Co.,
First National Bank of Griffin,
WHIE, WGRI, WKEU.
Only those who have been
trusties for six months, who
have no disciplinary actions in
the past six months, and who
have been convicted of non
violent crimes are considered
for furlough.
The inmates are also re
quired to check in with their
hometown police during their
furloughs.
Thanksgiving
service set
Captain Roy Asher of the
Salvation Army will be speaker
at the Thanksgiving service this
year at First Christian Church.
The service will begin at 10
a.m. Thanksgiving Day with
choirs and ministers of the
central churches participating.
Churches taking part in the
annual service include First
Baptist Church, First United
Methodist, First Presbyterian,
St. John’s Lutheran Mission,
Sacred Heart Catholic and St.
George’s Episcopal.
Weather
ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY
65, low today 31, high yesterday
52, low yesterday 29, high
tomorrow in low 50s, low tonight
in upper 30s.
Bicentennial tags
ATLANTA (UPI) — The State Revenue Department
will continue selling red, white and blue bicentennial
automobile license tags for the rest of this year.
The deadline for ordering the special tags was Nov. 15,
but Revenue Commissioner Nick Chiiivis said Tuesday
the department will extend it until Dec. 31 because of the
demand.
“Since this is a special tag, representing a special time
in our state and nation’s history, and since we have had
many requests from taxpayers for an extension, we are
extending the deadline to Dec. 31,” he said.
“This will allow many people, who for some reason
were unable to get in their orders under the deadline, to
purchase one,” said Chiiivis.
The bicentennial tags cost $lO extra. Unlike regular
Georgia license plates, they can be changed from one
vehicle to another when the owner changes cars.
The revenue department will charge a transfer fee for
such a switch.
The bicentennial plates are white with red and blue
lettering, featuring Georgia’s bicentennial emblem.
the driver’s license and one or more credit cards or other
identification, then compare the signature and
photograph on the identification with the person cashing
the check.
Sheriff Dwayne Gilbert is sure lawmen could solve
more burglaries if more residents would participate in the
Neighborhood Watch Program.
“Fewer burglaries and thefts are solved, because there
are fewer witnesses to those crimes,” the sheriff said.
He appealed to residents to call his department or city
police if they see any suspicious persons or unusual
activity around a neighbor’s house.
“Even if it’s a false alarm, we would want to check
anyway. It may be the real thing and we might prevent a
burglary and catch a burglar,” he said.
Free literature on protecting one’s home is available at
the Sheriff’s Department.
Some of the tips include using vertical dead-bold locks
on doors; securing windows with either key operated
locks or by driving large nails into the window track so
that windows cannot be raised high enough for an intruder
DAILY
Daily Since 1872
Mayor eligible
to succeed self
Another piece of the puzzle as
to who will be chairman of the
city commissioners dropped
into place today.
City Atty. Robert Smalley
ruled Chairman Louis Goldstein
would be eligible to succeed
No paper
tomorrow
The Griffin Daily News will
observe tomorrow as a Thanks
giving holiday and will not
publish an edition.
Regular publication will be
resumed Friday.
City, county
cut cost
of ‘park’
Griffin and Spalding County
commissioners held a joint
meeting this morning to discuss
ways of cutting development
costs at the new industrial park
off Memorial drive.
Almost $40,000 in estimated
costs were saved by eliminating
the concrete curbs on the South
road, deferring work on a
crossover and by using grass
instead of concrete headwalls.
The commissioners decided
against delaying construction of
the North road in order to have
more available building sites to
show future industries.
Total estimated costs for
completing development were
expected to run more than
$455,300, commissioners said. In
addition to the roads, the
project includes installing
water and sewerage lines and a
railroad.
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Wednesday November 26, 1975
himself.
His opinion was in a letter to
City Manager Roy Inman. City
officials has asked for a ruling
to clear the air on this point.
Smalley based his opinion on
the amendment to the Charter
of Griffin concerning the
election of a chairman.
Under the new procedure,
commissioners will elect their
own chairman. Previously the
chairman was elected as a
member-at-large by the voters.
Smalley quoted the 1973 Act in
part:
“Therefore, the Board shall
elect one of their members to
serve as Chairman for a term of
one year, and until a successor
is duly elected. No com
missioner shall be eligible to
succeed himself as chairman.”
Smalley said in his opinion:
“I conclude that at this first
election by the Commissioners
all members, including Com
missioner Goldstein, are
eligible to be elected as chair
man, but that at all elections
after this one, the incumbent
Chairman will not be elected to
succeed himself.”
Under the act Commissioner
Goldstein, who was reelected to
the board earlier this month in a
runoff vote, will be sworn in at
the December 9 meeting,
according to Smalley.
The commissioners are
directed to elect one of their
members to serve as chairman
for the ensuing 12 months after
the first meeting after that
(Dec. 9 meeting), Smalley said.
The next regular meeting
after the Dec. 9 is the one
scheduled Dec. 23.
The chairmanship may not be
decided until then.
Trial in Pike County
Georgia Supreme Court
upholds Judge Whalen
The Supreme Court of
Georgia has upheld the convic
tions of three men sentenced to
life terms for the armed rob
bery of the Bank of Molena; the
kidnapping of the bank’s execu
tive vice president, John
Barker, his wife and son; and
the theft of the family’s station
wagon.
The crimes occurred in
October, 1973.
A. D. Allen, Waymon Patrick
and Daniel Warren were sen.
tenced to life, plus 87 years in
prison, by Judge Andrew
Whalen, Jr., following a lengthy
trial in Pike Superior Court in
November, 1973.
The men filed appeals to the
higher court on 22 grounds. The
trial court’s judgment was
upheld on all issues and no
to enter; making the home look occuppied by using timers
to turn on lights and radios; and by stopping delivery of
the newspaper and mail while on vacation.
Property likely to be stolen, such as radios, stereos, tvs
and the like, should have identifying marks.
The Griffin Police Department has an electric marking
tool which citizens may borrow for that purpose.
Detectives said if the owners of stolen property have
records of serial numbers and the items have been
marked, the items can more easily be claimed if
recovered.
The number of rapes jumped higher than any other
crime, both in the city and the county, last year. Rape was
up 120 percent to 11 cases in the city and doubled to six
incidents in the county over 1973.
Chief Pitts has talked to several women’s groups on self
protection.
“Your best defense is prolonged loud screaming.
“Cries for help have discouraged many criminals and
(Continued on page 14)
NEWS
Pet tag deadline near
The Spalding Animal Control unit today reminded
people in the county they need to have tags on dogs and
cats by Monday.
That’s the day the animal control staff will begin
picking up the animals they find with no tags.
The tags can be secured at the county pound near the
Spalding County Public Works Camp on Williamson road.
It can be reached by taking the first road to the right
just past the prison. The pound is a new white cement
block structure.
Cemetery lots
are going up
The cost of city cemetery lots
will increase by sls each ef
fective March 1. City Com
missioners approved the in
crease at their meeting last
night.
The commissioners approved
the platting of grave sites in
blocks one and two of section E
to permit pre-need sale of the
lots at a no increase in the price
of $l5O per lot at this time.
The commissioners said the
time pay plan for a lot, in force
since 1955, would remain in
effect. Under this, a person can
purchase a lot for a minimum
down payment of $lO and pay
the balance within two years
with 10 percent interest on the
unpaid balance.
The commissioners also
raised the price of monument
foundations to $6 per square foot
with a $lO minimum, effective
cause for reversal was found.
The three men, wearing
masks and carrying guns, broke
into the Barker home and held
the family until the next mor
ning when the time lock on the
bank vault opened.
The intruders forced the
Barkers to accompany them to
the bank, where they tied up
employes as they arrived for
work.
The men took some $18,700
from the bank, stole two rings
from the Barker’s home and
escaped in the Barker’s station
wagon.
The car later was found
abandoned and a manhunt
began in some woods near
Fayetteville.
Adel Penson testified he was
forced by Allen and Patrick to
Vol. 103 No. 281
March 1. Current prices are $4
and $8 respectively.
In other action last night, the
board officially commended the
Griffin High football team on
winning the 6-AAA Region
championship last Friday night
and wished them well as they
continue in the state playoffs.
“Dogs are good company
because they wag their tails
instead of their tongues.”
drive them out of the area.
While stopping for gas, they
were discovered and arrested
by Georgia DOI agents. Warren
later was arrested elsewhere.
Prior to the trial, two people
were kidnapped in Clayton
County and the release of
Warren was demanded in ex
change for the kidnaped
victims. They later were freed.
There also were threats on the
life of a state’s witness and on
the trial judge.
As a result extra security
measures were taken at the
trial. All persons entering the
courtroom were searched for
weapons and the suspects were
brought into the courtroom in
handcuffs. A large number of
officers were stationed inside
and outside the courthouse.