Newspaper Page Text
COTTON
Vol. CXIX, No. 175.
:’;-‘,.-‘, s ! :S;Y...ia:;:fgg ' ,;,\ R '31?2735;,{532’1""?55.‘?'; : g :.: e
eTR B e o ‘
iy e Do PR e b b }
eRi e L
D e eiSie T o(N oo e AR
RBG : y N
T e % e AR R GRS ' o
TEEE N S .
. . g Ny
o BT S R\ S
e e coana i TR TRy R Y
o "0& i # § Eoes ;d:.:: 3 b R >~ e §
ifiy R /%’ & )&M ;';\-:‘ i ; )’1 i
W, 1 éi W P .
R R P 2 X B R N 3 et U S b
' R fs'-'-* PR B S N e ;5@
S S e R B o 0 ¢ & 5
SR oo i R i e ;
o RLe ?& D ” i e
CRes iR . : L ;
B N i R e e eSR i
B —— g o <'b' FE ? ; £
Bl e s b Sk ' ' :
t:?,'\ 0‘ :
s *g%“\’% e e s
S s © A il
LS e e e g L
R e T B e o
g S . .
BEGAME e e Y G g
e . st N b
SRR TR e . S ey
LS SNg% uE W eRW i o G
oAW W s
el g¢ ' V&;”"“W e
(o Re W TR
PR S . G i R bl
e S e
. . B égfi“‘ R
Lo L TTR T ee e e %@’?’
p TR G ee Ve »W& ",,g?&m, _l‘:
§ R ot e ’%’o%’w‘f\;k‘%‘%»&&
HOLLYWOOD MOBSTERS SLAIN BY GANG GUNMAN _— In a fashionable Holly
od movieland neighborhood just off Hollywood Boulevard, Tony Trombino (upper
left) and Tony Brancato (lower left) were slain by gangland gunmen. At right is
ieir death car with the bodies in the front seat. Trombino’s corpse is behind the
teering wheel. Police believe the two mobsters were shot by someone concealed in
» back seat of the automobile. The bullets entered the backs of their heads. Both
vere former Kansas City thugs. — (AP Wirephoto.)
Hollywood Police Predict Early
Solution To Gangland Slayings
Bl Snares i
Red Leaders;
¥
By The Associated Press
The FBI snared another batch
of alleged American Communists
yesterday, promrised more arrests,
but said there would be “no hys
teria, no mass raids, ne roundup
of thousands.”
The latest roundup netted five
more Communist leaders in New
York, Baltimore and Cleveland. A
sixth person, described by the FBI
as an attorney for the Red party,
was arrested in Baltimore.
All six were charged with plot
ting to advocate violent over
throw of the U. S. government.
This same accusation levelled
against 11 convicted top-rung
Communist leaders and 34 more
accused lesser Reds now awaiting
trial,
Federal agents currently are
pressing a hunt for four of the
convicted and four of the other
defendants.
Those arrested early today and
yesterday were:
Baltimore Arrests
In Baltimore—George A. Mey
ers, 38, chairman and organizer
in the party’s District 4 (Balti
more) headquarters; Roy Wood,
36, Washington, D. C., party
chairman; and the attorney, Mau
rice Louis Braverman, 35, of Bal
timore.
In Cleveland — Regina Frank
feld, 41, of Cleveland, a former
organizer in Baltimore.
In New York — Dorothy Rose
Blumberg, 47, of Brooklyn, for
(Continuea Un Page Two)
Light Vote In
State Election
ATLANTA, Aug. 8. — (AP) —
Three Georgia Solicitors General
won approval of the people yes
terday in a statewide election no
body wanted and in which. few
people bothered to vote.
The three solicitors didn’t want
the election because they already
had the posts through gubernato
rial appeintmrents. None had any
organized opposition and write-in
votes were scarce.
TOTAL VOTE 113
Only a trickle of votes went
into the ballot boxes in Clarke
county in yesterday’s General
election, a total of 113 being
cast,
The vote by militia districts
was as follows:
216th (Athens)—Box No. 1,
67; Box No. % 2% Hith, 5;
218th, 3; 219th, 6; 220th, 10;
241st, 7; 1347th, 5; 1467th, 3.
Because of the expense involv
ed, the counties and eities didn’t
want the election either, except in
isloated cases where local elec
tions were held simultaneously.
It was obvious that state-wide
the voters didn’t want the election
—they virtually ignored it.
But an almost forgotten law re
quired a general election for the
solicitors,
Those elected are William M.
Best of Macon, Macon Circuit;
John W. Davis of Summerville,
Rome Circuit, and Wingate Dykes
of tAmez'icus, Southwestern Cir
cuit,
Local issueg stimulated balloting
in Floyd ty, Carroll county,
Brunlwlcg gfiv&nmh and Dublin.
ATHENS BANNER-HERALD
Associated Press Service
HOLLYWOOD, Aug. B—(AP)—
The gangland slayings of Kansas
city mobsters Tony Brancato and
Jony Trombino Monday night may
be solved within a matter of hours
police Chief William J. Parker
said today. .
Four men are in jail, brooked on
suspicion of shooting Brancato
and Trombino as they sat in a
parked automobile. Parker identi
fied the suspects as James Fra
tianno, 37, of Encino California,
His brother, Warren, 35; Sam
Londen, 38,; in front of whose
home the shooting occured, and
Sam Lazes, 36, of Los Angeles.
“One or all four had direct
knowledge of the shootings,” said
Parker,
Capt. James E. Hamilton, head
of the police intelligence unit, said
officers have located a witness
“who saw the slayer’s face, and
can identify him.” He declined to
to identify the witness.
Brancato, police said had been
questioned in four gangland slay
ingfs here—those of Benjamin
(Bugsy) Siegel, Harry (Hooky)
Rothman, Neddie Herbert and law
yer Samuel, Rummel, who was
gambler Micky Cohen’s “mouth
piece.” Cohen recently was con
victed of income tax evasion.
\ Capt. Robert A. Lohrman, head
of the homicide Bureau, said
James Fratainno, a former Cohen
associate, and London have giv~
en ‘“unsatisfactory” explanations
of their movements Monday. He
said they admitted being with
’Brancato and Trombino that day,
but last saw them at 3 p. m.
~ Lohrman said Warren Fratinno
‘has given no explanation at all for
_his whereabcuts at the time of the
killings, and that Lazes, although
offering an alibi, has not con
vinced his questioners.
In sharp contrast to the hand
ling of some of Southern Califor
nia’s gangster shooting cases of
other years, police moved fast in
rounding up four suspects yester
day. ..
Parker and Dist. Atty. Ernest
Roll forestalled the release of the
quartet on writs of Habeas Cor
pus by appearing in the chamber
of presiding Judge Thomas J. Cun~
ningham of the crirhinal master
calendar court and asking for
high bail to deter their release at
least for many hours.
C. A. P. Call Meet
Slated Tonight
The Civil Air Patrol urges all
members to attend a called meet
ing tonight, which will be held
at Municipal Airport on the Win
terville road at 8 p. m.
Members will be assigned duties
for the forthcoming ARCAP
(Search and Rescue, Civil Air Pa
trol) which will be held at the
Municipal Airport on September
7-8-9.
All of the Wing taff of Sth
CAP will be on hand to judge the
event.
The event consists of about 100
planeg and men participating be
sides the local CAP group.
el e sikigiion
McCARTHY ACTION
WASHINGTON, Aug. B—(AP)
—Senator McCarthy (R-WIS) said
today he will name in a Senate
speech tomorrow 29 present or
past state department employes
who have come under loyalty in
vestigations.
He said his lists includes 24 per=
sons he believes to be still em
ployed by the State Department,
two whom “I think have been sus
pended stwo who have resigned,
and one has been cleared.”
He said the list includes. “some
very high officials.” «
Tuckston Church
Barbecue Today
From3TodP. M.
Several hundred barbecue en~
thusiasts from Athens and
througout this section will con
verge on Tuckston Methodist
Church this afternoon to enjoy
a delicious cue, hours for which
are from 5 to 8 p. m.
There’s still plenty of time af
ter you get your Banner-Herald
today to jump in the car with the
family and motor out to the Tuck
ston church a few miles out on
the Lexington Road.
Prices are $1.50 for adults and
seventy-five cents for children.
Here’s the menu: delicious bar
becued meat, well seasened, well
cooped barbcue hash, potato salad,
sliced tomatoes, cole slaw, pickles,
iced tea and large variety of home
made pies, baked by the ladiés of
the church.
P. 8. —The Athens Firemen are
cooking the ‘cue, starting before
daylight this morning.
REV. NICKERSON TO SPEAK
Rev. D. B. Ncholson, beloved
Baptist Student Unlon Director
for the State of Georgia, will give
the inspirational talk at the re
gular Wednesday prayer service at
the First Baptist Church this ev
ening at 8 o’clock. The public is
invited.
Mayor Breaks Tie To Vote For
Water And Sewer Certificates
Mayor and Council last night
authorized issuance of $200,000.00
additional self-liquidating water
and sewer revenue certificates,
Mayor Jack R. Wells breaking a
tie vote to adopt a recommenda
tion of the finance committee.
In breaking the tie vote of 4 to
4, Mayor Wells said at the finance
committee meeting Councilmen
Walter Danner and O. M. Roberts,
jr., voted to recommend issuance
of the water and sewer facilities.
Councilmen Danner and Roberts
were not at last night’s meeting,
the Mayor pointed out but their
presence would have given a 6 to
4 vote for issuance of the certifi
cates. Councilmen Luther Bond,
Merritt Pound, Roger Hazen and
Dick Thompson voted to issue the
certificates. Councilmen Kenneth
Guest, R. W. Phillips, Albert W.
Wier, jr., and C. S. Denney voted
against issuance of the certifi
cates.
In his report for the finance
committee, Councilman Hazen de
clared that “we have on hand at
the present time approximately
five miles of water main to be
installed.” He said further that
“‘we have adopted a policy of in
stalling mains outside the city
limits whereby we were assured
or guaranteed a return of 8 per
icent on the investment in water
‘receipts. The City Engineer has
‘assured me that in making instal
lations on this basis where all
costs are taken into consideration
that an 8 per eent return is ade
quate to pay for the cost of mak
ing the water, depreciation on the
plant and distribution system, cost
of meter reading and billing, as
well as to finance the cost of in
stallation.”
Sees County Aid
Councilman Hazen asserted that
“your committee still feels that ul
timately some help will be re
«ceived from the county in making
SERVING ATHENS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA OVER A CENTURY.
ATHENS, GA., WEDMESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1951.
Reds Silent On U. N. Demand For
Neutrality Of Peace Talks Site
Wells, Alderman
I
Alderman Wier
Mayor Jack R. Wells and Coun
cilman Roger N. Hazen last night
replied to a statement recently is
sued by Councilman Albert W,
Wier jr. criticizing the city’s fi
nancial situation and Councilman
Wier made new charges concern-]
ing finances.
Mayor Wells took the floor to
reply to Mr. Wier while Mayor
Pro-Tem Luther Bond presided.
Councilman Kenneth Guest asked
the Mayor pro-tem to rule both
the Mayor and Councilman Wier
out of order on the basis of a pre~
vious ruling by-the Mayor but the
Mayor Pro-tem declined to do so.
Mayor Wells said Councilman
Wier's statement on city finances
“shows an utter lack of knowledge
of city finances and did a great
injustice to the present citizens of.
Athens as well as to future gen
erations by attempting to con
fuse the minds of the people and
break down their confidence in
city government.” |
Mayor Wells referred to Coun
cilman Wier’s prediction of a city
deficit running from 30,000 to
$115,000 as toose and indefinite”
and characterized it as “dealing in
a trifling and irresponsible man=
ner with city finances for politi
cal purposes.” He added: “For
tunately those who have financial
dealings with the City know much
more about the finances of the
City of Athens than. Alderman
Wier and for that reason they
’have not been impressed by his
statement.” .
| “Loose Estimate” :
Councilman Hazen declared “if
Mr. Wier’s loose estimate of the
city’s financial position reflects his
business judgment I must conclude
it is fortunate for the City of Ath
ens and her people that Mr. Wier
is not burdened with the cares
and responsibilities of the Mayor’s
office.” : G eRt
Councilman Wier replied to
Mayor Wells with the assertion,
made in a prepared statement, that
“certain funds that have been col
lected by the City of Athens have
been used for purposes other than
that for which they were collect
ed.” He charged that the balance
from money collected from a three
mills levy for bonds in 1948, 1949
and 1950 was used for '“general
city purposes.”
Councilman Wier further stated
that the tax rate for bonds for
the year 1951 is 6 mills and “ex
pected revenue from the 6 mills
rate for the year 1951 is in excess
of $150,000.00 and the City Bond
Commission has only asked for
$116,901.00 for bonded debt, prin
cipal” and interest for the year
1951,
Mayor Wells replied to this
statement of Councilman Wier by
saying that it was “further proof
that Councilman Wier does not
know what he is talking about.
The Bond Commission did not
even ask for funds this year. The
(Continued On Page Two)
these installations, particularly
where adequate fire protection is
given. It is my belief that ulti
mately a method of county aid
will be worked out which is as
it should be. This would enable
the development of the rural lines
and a further increase in volume
of water handled by the Athens
Water Works. It is my belief
that it is to the interest of our
city to serve these people wherev
er their lines are self-liquidating
at the present time and present a
potential high source of revenue
for the City Water Works, which
in turn will be benificial to all the
citizens of Athens.
Councilman Wier.read a state
ment, assarting that “the sale of
additional water and sewer reve
nue certificates at this time is un
wise, in the light of the overall fi
nancial picture of the City of
Athens. 2 2
“As much ag it is in the City’s
interest to give additional sewers
and water to certain areas for a
health and public welfare point of
view, the current tight financial
position of the City must also be
considered.
“1t is' the intention of the ad
ministration 4f the City Council
authorizes the sale of additional
certificates to make some major
installations outside of the City on
the theory that a return of 8 per
cent on new waver mains outside
of the City lintits will return a
profit for the City, which will in
turn accrue to the .benefit of the
taxpayers of Athens. I believe
this reasoning is incorrect. |
“Twenty-five per cent of the
revenue from all installations must
be charged to the operation of the
Water Department and the Com
mercial Office. The annual pays
ments of principal and ir;;er‘t of
certificates wil] run greater™ihan
6 per %%tt In addition, for every
$1,000.00 invested in mains, at
“Further Proof”
UN Negotiators Back In Korea
Awaifing Red Reply To Ridgway
BY OLEN CLEMENTS
TOKYO, Aug. B.— (AP) —Red radios remained silent
tonight on the United Nations for fresh guarantees of neu
trality at the site of Korean armistice talks.
Allied negotiators returned to Korea during the day,
ready to resume cease-fire talks if and when Communist
Commanders pledge4he Kaesong neutral zone will be kept
inviolable,
But neither the Peiping nor Py
ongyang radios mentioned tonight
the broadcast at 1:30 p. m. Tues=
day (10:30 p. m. Monday EST)
which gave a report the Red com~-
manders still were waiting for
Ridgway’s reply to 2 Communist
message dispatched Monday morn=
ing.
The Peiping broadcast said the
letter, entrusted to an American
liaison officer, contained assur=
ances from North Korean Gen.
Kim Il Sung and Gen. Peng Teh
hui that the Kaesong neutrality
pledge would be observed,
This apparently was the Red
message which Ridgway acknowl=
edged Tuesday in his demand for
a new Red pledge they would
really keep their word.
Peiping Broadcasts
The Peiping broadcasts said the
Chinese and North Korean cease=-
fire delegation waited at Kaesong
Tuesday for the U. N. negotiators,
“but the latter failed to arrive.”
Vice Adm. C. Turner Joy led
the four American delegates back
to the United Nations advance
headquarters from top secret con
ferences with the U. N. command=
er in Tokyo. On his arrival in
Korea, Joy said:
“] have no idea when the talks
will be resumed. I will wait un
til the Communists answer Gen=
eral Ridgway’s last message.”
Brig. Gen. William P. Nuckols,
delegation spokesman, said the or=
der to resume the interrupted ne=
gotiations would have to come
from General Ridgway, even if
Red leaders accept his terms.
The U. N. commander broke off
# ; after a company of armed
ds marched through the.npeu
tral zone. Top Red commanders
said it was an accident. Gt
In his Tuesday message Ridg
way demanded that the Commun
ists promise not to allow any more
of their armed soldiers to enter
the neutral area. This zone ex
tends in a five mile radius from
the Kaesong site of armistice ne
gotiations.
Red radios accused U, N. troops
of violating the neutral zone July
16 by attacks on Panminhong
which they said was in the neu
trality area. Allied maps show the
town is six miles east of Kaesong,
outside the zone.
Communist broadcasts also pro
tested U. N. war planes flew over
the zone and warships bombarded
Red “positions daily just beyond
the neutral zone.”
7"!!1;;" Exaggeration”
The broadeasts said U. N. action
in breaking off negotiations was
“exaggeration of a trifle” and
porved the Communist contention
Americans “deliberately intend to
stall the talks.”
The return of American cease
(Continued On Page Two)
least $500.00 must be invested in
plant facilities. The City would
have to secure a return of 12 per
cent to pay all costs for water to
rural areas.
. Lists Payments
“While It is in the general in
terest of the community to have
water available over the county,
as a councilman representing the
taxpayers inside the City, I do not
believe that it is to the best in
terests of the City at this time to
sell additional water and sewer
revenue certificates.”
Councilman Wier further assert
ed that the payments on the out
standing certificates wiél run as
follows: 1952, $33,31250; 1953,
$33,312.50; 1954, $50,272.50. These
large payments will dip into the
general revenue of the City to
such an extent that the City will
be forced to secure additional rev
enue through Ad Vaiorem Taxes.
If we add $200,000 more in certif
icates, this will add between $lO,~
000 and $15,000 more in annual
payments.”
Mayor Wells said today, in con~
nection with Councilman Wier’s
statement that “Councilman Wier
is talking nonsense. The record
shows the water and sewer exten
sion program has been self-liqui
dating. In future years, as the
City grows, and its growth will be
aided by the existence of these
facilities, the income will be
greater nntd ;lm la;dd fFurther to the
revenue of the city. urmexgxqre,
1 stated %ass mgfi% that Mr. Sum
ter Kelly, who furnished the legal
opinion as to the validity of the
certificates to the buyers, con~
firmed the faot that the City has
lived up to its obligations. And
S’&:fiflfnan Wier admitted lest
t that he was wrong once be
fore in talking about these reve
nue certificates.”
In his report Councilman Hazen
(Contmaed On Pare [wo)
i - o
t f?w } 1
fNg e {
ie T i
; o e B
v " 4’ 1 """».\\
‘A o
" k. ;
i, :.- & R " 5
v : £
k| o
NORTH KOREA CHEESECAKE
—Miss Pak, the WAC (North
Korean style), struck this be
guiling pose upon the hood of a
jeep to demonstrate the Com
munist version of cheesecake for
NEA-Acme Photographer Jim
Healy —(NEA Telephoto.)
Ag Forecasters
See Near-Record
Cofton Harvest
WASHINGTON, Aug. B—(AP)
—The Agriculture Department, in
it first forecast of the current cot
ton crop, tocay estimated it at
17,266,000 bales of 500 pounds
gross weight., =~
This near-record erop is 7,214,
000 bales more than the 10,012,000
bale short crop produced-last year.
It @lso is much larger than the
ten-year (1940-49) average of
12,030,000 bales.
The government had appealed
for a crop of at least 16,000,000
bales to replenish supplies which
had been cut to a low level under
defense program demands. Exports
have been restricted because of
the supply situation.
1937 Crop St
The largest crop ever produced
was 18,946,000 bales in 1937.
A big boost in the crop had been
expected by the cotton markets,
as evidenced by the fact that
prices have dipped rather sharply
from a ceiling of 45.76 cents a
pound.
In an accompanying report, the
census bureau said 223,886 run
ning bales of cotton from this
years crop had been ginned prior
to Aug. 1. This compares with
283,24 ginned to the same date
last year and 296,843 two years
ago.
The average yield to the acre
to be harvested was estimated at
286.7 pounds, compared with 269.2
pounds last year and 237.5 for the
ten-year average.
| The condition of the cotton crop
as of Aug. 1 was reported at 76
percent of normal compared with
75 percent a year ago and 17 per
| cent for the ten-year Aug. 1 av
‘erage.
Production By States
The condition of the crop, the in
dicated yield per acre and the
| production, respectively, by states
| (Continued On Page Two)
|
WEATHER
ATHENS AND VICINITY (
Mostly fair and continued hot
this afternoon, tonight and ‘
Thursday. Slight chance of |
thundershowers this afternoon.
Low tonight 73. High tomorrow
94. Sun sets 7:27 and rises to
morrow 5:50.
GEORGIA — Fair to partly
cloudy and continued hot today |
and Thursday.
TEMPERATURE ¥
Biphmet ... eBB
TOWEBt 00, svso vrngilnai B
WD . cov snne vrnsissin sovela
MOHAE | e kTI
RAINFALL
Inches last 24 hours ~ ... .00
Total since August 1 ~ ... .02
Deficit since August 1 .... 1.13
Average August rainfall .. 4.62
Total since January 1 .. ..29.83
Deficit since January 1 ... 2.45
Read Daily by 35,000 People In Athens Trade Ares
- BY ARTHUR EVERETT AND EUGENE LEVIN "q
WEST POINT, N. Y., Aug. 8. — (AP) — Extenuating
circumstances may clear some of the 80 Military Academy
cadets admitting cribbing, West Point officials say, but
the exact status of the other 10 cadets involved still is nos
clear,
Possibility that fewer cadets would be dismissed than the
90 originally accused of cheating became clear yesterday
as Senate investigators in Washington decided to keep
hands off the case, at least for the present.
Col. James B. Leer, the Aca
demy’s public information officer,
said that the screening board now
in session might clear some of
the 80 admitting eribbing.
It was explained that the
screening board might find new
explanation or extenuating eir
cumstances that will acquit the
cadets, although they admitted
their guilt to an original special
board that recommended the dis
missals.
Other Cadets
For those cadets not admitting
cheating, the department of the
army said in Washington that the
academy superintendent would
have to decide whether they were
to be discharged administrative
1y or be given court martials.
Maj. Gen. Frederick A. Irving,
superintendent of the academy, in
dicated that the method finally
used would depend on the evi
dence on hand.
Irving held a new conference
yesterday, setting at 80 the num
ber of the accused cadets who have
admitted their guilt. He also said
that 19 cadets, in addition to the
accused 90 had been investigated
but were not charged, because of
insufficient evidence.
The superintendent denied al
legations by the cadets that they
had been coerced into confessing
their guilt.
In an unsigned statement, the
cadets said they would be willing
“to testify under oath in a closed
‘session to the above stated facts.”
Whether they referred to a con=
gressional inquiry was not clear:
But in Washington several Sena
tors agreed there is little or noth
ing to investigate at “the point.”
Hands Off”
The Senate’s special investi
gating subcommittee yesterday
“unanimously approved” a decis
fon to keep hands off the scandal,
said Chairman Hoey (D-NC.).
Hoey said that Senators would
not step in wunless the accused
cadet asked an investigation. But
he pointed out that the Senate
armed Service committee had the
first right on any suech investiga
tion,
The Chicago Tribune in a ecopy
right story from Flint, Mich., said
today that an outstanding high
school athlete told of a six-week,
expense-paid vacation at the aca
demy this summer,
The athlete, Duncan MacDonald,
18, a quarterback, said he and 22
other high school players made
the trip and had informal talks
with army football coach Blaik,
the Tribune said. .
Draft free status as a cadet was
a big part of the sales talk to en
tice the athlete to West Point
the Tribune said, but MacDonald
decided to go to Michigan.
RUSSIAN BROADCASTS
WASHINGTON, Aug B—(AP)
—Senator McMahon (D-CONN)
said today the U. S. should lose
no time in thrusting more truth
into the Iron Curtain crack made
by Russian broadcasts of Ameri
can friendship overtures.
|Bl oemmrm e v 3
gy i ’r):g\ ,
': “\’f" o %
o i i
; Pt %
Lot
TARL Y
E -
?« ¢ s ~
. k]
T B
\o; .:W : @
ANOTHER OF THE 90—Cadet
Harold Moores of South FPort
land, Mo., another of the 90 in
volved in the cribbing investi
gation currently under way at
the United States Military
Academy, stands with his
father before the satue of Col.
Thayer who started the honer
system at West Point, The pair
is looking over the press release
of football Coach Earl Blaik in
which he said he would “wel
come” a Congressional investi
gation into the incident.—(NEA
Telephoto.)
HOME
EDITION
Dallas Gambler
Killed Tuesday:
Slayers Sought
DALLAS, Texas, Aug. B.—(AP)
—Gambler Herbert Noble, who
cheated death eleven times, said
in a thunderous explosion yester
day, On a twelfth attempt “The
Cat” ran out of luck.
The silver-haired, self-styled
retired gambler was killed as he
stopped his car at a rural mail box
near his fortress-like ranch.
1 The killer—or killers—hid in a
scrub oak thicket some 75 yards
’ away, then touched off a devilish
ly-hidden land mine.
ThHe blast underneath Noble’s
automobile left. it a crumbled
wreckage and scattered bits of the
42-year-old gambler’s body over a
wide area.
At least twelve times Noble had
escaped death, but not injury, and
this earned him the nickname
“The Cat.”
The Kefauver crime committee
heard his experiences from a Dal
las police officer this year and
Noble told a Toxasn&hhllu
erime investigating co ttee of
f)arfigsung-—aid gambling feuds—in
a .
Few Clues
| There were few clues for police
to follow. One was a mystetious
blue pickup truck seen on the
dusty country road leading te the
ranch near Lewisville, ten miles
northwest of Dallas.
Mailman’s Testimony
R. O. Millican, a rural mail ear
rier, said he saw the truck parked
by the side of the road a quarter
of a mile from Noble’s maflbox.
' He passed it about an hour and a
‘half before the explosion.
~ Police also sought three men in
Fort Worth, One was once m
ed for assault to murder :
He was never tried.
The blast that killed Noble was
carefully planned. It came sbout
12:45 p. m. (EST) but the result
wasn't discovered until later.
Cunningham drove down to get
his mail and found it, about 2 p.
m. (EST). Some neighbors said
they heard the explosion.
Wires ran fromr the hidden
mine, a concrete culvert into the
thicket where the killer hid. The
explosive was hidden in a sept
that was directly under Noble’s
automobile when it stopped at the
mail box,
It was at least the fourth ate
tempt to kill Noble by explosion.
The first killed hig wife by mis
(Continuea On Page Twe)
Alabama Police
Seek Desperado
SYLACAUGA, ALA., Aug. 8—)
(AP)—Heavily armed state and
county officers today kept watch
for a young desperado who has
dodged or shot his way past pur
suers since Saturday.
The search for Billy Davis, 283,
a paroled Tenessee convict, cen
tered in this east-Central Alabama
section, where the desperate game
of hare and hounds began.
Coosa County. Sheriff Lyman
'C. Hanna reported yesterday that
la stolen green ford in which Da
vis was last known to be traveling
had been sighted in the Rockford
area south of here.
Davis has relatives living be
tween Sylacauge and Rockford.
The FBI also was taking part
in the search, but declined any
comment on its operations.
Talladega county Sheriff E. O.
Howell said Davis was known to
have stolen at least four cars since
he wasg jumped by officers mear
here Saturday night.
The quick-triggered fugitive
doubled back to Alabama after
wrecking his car near Preston, Ga.
He blasted his way past police
who recognized him at Columbus,
Ga.
Davis’ trouble with Alabama of
ficers began July 11 after he bur
glarized a Sylacauga Jewelry
store, Howell said.
He and a prettt); T;engegm gl
companion were trap v
at Homewood, Ala., a Birmingham
subugbilmvk flegh af?r;i e%
ing bullets with the cers. T
young woman was captured and
charged with burglary.
Davis reportedly boasted he
‘would not be taken alive. .