The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 180, Ed. 2 Thursday, December 16, 1954 Page: 1 of 44
forty four pages : ill. ; page 22 x 16 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
COOLER
VOL. LXXIV, NO. 180
$1.79
•D t
25
18*
35
35
15%
47*
15-
10*
ities
The Abilene Reporte
Prms
"WITHOUT OR WITH OFFENSE TO FRIENDS OR FOES WE SKETCH YOUR WORLD EXACTLY AS IT GOES"—Byron
Associated Press (AP)
ABILENE, TEXAS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 16, 1954—THIRTY-SIX PAGES IN TWO SECTIONS
TOYS MADE LIKE NEW—Three of the city’s firemen hard at work repairing toys for
Goodfellows’ gifts next week are Charles Godard, Milton Tatum, and J. K. Johnson, left
to right. (Staff photo by Don Hutcheson)
Many Organizations Handle
Specific Goodfellow Jobs
Just who are these Goodfellows?
Well, they’re just about every-
body who thinks beyond his own
Christmas tree at this time of
year.
They’re firemen, school children,
businessmen, clubwomen. But,
most of all, they're you.
You all, the hundreds and thou-
sands of readers who send in
money to the Goodfellows, make
possible the work of taking care
of families down on their luck at
Christmastime.
Of course, there’s a lot to this
Goodfellow work that can’t be done
by money alone. More labor goes
into the Goodfellows each year
than you could buy with all the
money donated to them in their
almost 35 years of existence here.
Help Through Clubs
Many of the workers participate
through clubs or organizations.
Many simply pitch in where they
are most needed.
The Goodfellows are a tradition
in Abilene, and various jobs over
the years have become the "prop-
erty” of certain groups in town.
The Abilene Kiwan' Club, for
instance, has been handling food
for the G Mellows since the days
when it was delivered to the
homes in baskets.
Now they handle mailing of food
script to the families. These are
made out on the basis of the size
Suspect Held;
30th Burglary
Reported Here
Two more Abilene burglaries
have been reported to police
the past 24 hours, bringing the
total since Thanksgiving to 30.
A suspect was arrested by city
police Thursday morning in con-
nection with a Wednesday night
break - in. He was jailed for ques-
tioning.
Latest burglaries reported
were:
, (1) St. Paul Methodic Church,
925 Beech St., "in the last day
or two.”
<21 Herbert Pennye's shine par-
lor. 626 Plum St., Wednesday
night.
A 30 -year - old Abilene Negro
man was arrested Thursday
morning by City Police Detective
Capt. W. B McDonald. Lt. Gro-
ver Chronister and Patrolman C.
V Strickland. He was being ques-
tioned in connection with the shine
parlor burglary.
Stolen from a juke box at the
shine parlor was an undetermin-
ed amount of money The box was
broken into.
Nothing apparently was stolen
from St. Paul Methodist Church.
The burglar broke into a closet
where the choir robes are stored
Police couldn’t determine where
entry to the building was made,
said Capt McDonald.
Of the to burglaries occurring
here during the period beginning
Thanksgiving Day and up to the
present, six have either been solv-
ed in statements by arrested sus-
pects or charges hsve been filed
to connection with them.
of a family, with $12.50 the max-
imum, and are redeemable at any
local grocery store.
The Fire Department tradition-
ally takes care of repairing and
repainting used toys for the chil-
dren, a work that goes on during
a good part of the year. “They de-
serve a terrific plug.” Chairman
Paul Hodge said.
Many of the toys were collected
by the U. S. Marine Corps Re-
serve unit here in a city-wide pick-
up last month, one of 2,000 car-
ried on across the country by Ma-
rine reservists
The Exchange Club is in charge
of overall toy collections and dis-
tribution to the various fire sta-
tions. This work is usually Started
in October.
New Clothing
Altrusa Club members handle
purchasing of new clothing for
families, which is sized through
interviews beforehand and pact-
aged in bright paper for the par-
ents to take home along with their
children’s toys.
Cactus Lions Club, a new mem-
ber of the Goodfellows, handled
packaging and wrapping this year,
plus any other jobs that needed do-
ing, Hodge said.
Abilene Parents-Teachers Asso-
ciation Council members will work
as clerks during the five days that
the store at 377 Walnut St. will be
open.
The Junior Service League Inter-
views all the families who write
for help and are not listed on the
rolls of local welfare agencies.
To Chauffeur Parents
During the days that the store
is open, the Marine reservists will
serve as chauffeurs to carry the
parents and their gifts home. Two
cars have been furnished by Lone
Star Buick Co. and Horace Holly
Motors.
The building which houses the
store was donated by the First
State Bank, Hodge said. West Tex-
as Utilities Co. has donated elec-
trical service, and Abilene Service
Co. repaired all the wiring in the
building as its part in the Good-
fellows' work.
Besides the major Goodfellow
organizations, many smaller
groups have given time, toys, mon-
ey. and gifts.
Among them are the Crockett
Boy Scout troop, which repaired
toys for the store; the Couples
Class at St. Paul Methodist Church,
which brought in two large boxes
of wrapped gifts; Omega Rho Al-
pha at Abilene Christian College
with another box of wrapped gifts,
and S&Q Clothiers employers with
a large box of new toys.
Jewelry Given
Jewelry and cosmetics on the
tables reserved for teen-agers and
women came from the Business
and Professional Women, Medical
Auxiliary, Knickerbocker and As-
sembly dance clubs, and the Pen-
sadores Club.
Clinic Pharmacy donated pow-
der and cologne, Baird’s Bakeries
the boxes and cartons used for
packing. Minter’s Dry Goods some
used suits, and Harry Goltz Men’s
Store 22 pairs of shoes.
Many more people have helped
than could ever by acknowledged,
Hodge said.
For instance, after a story in
Wednesday afternoon’s Reporter-
News saying that doll clothes were
needed, the Goodfellows had calls
from about two dozen women of-
See NEEDY, Page 2-A, Col. 7
Dust, Fourth
Freeze Due
A fast moving cold front was
due to bring dust and cooler
"weather to Abilene about noon
Thursday, and the area's fourth
freeze is due Thursday night.
Except for the dust, which
might limit visibility in the area
to about three miles for a time,
the skies were expected to re-
main fairly clear through Friday.
Thursday's night's low will be
from 25 to 30, after a high of 80
to 65 during the day. Friday's
high will be about 4S.
Temperatures were reported to
be rising ahead of the cold front,
with strong to fresh southeasterly
winds blowing. Those winds
changed to northwest when the
cold front hit
A light froze was predicted for
Thursday night as far south as
the Fort Worth area.
Wednesday's high was 63, while
the low Thursday morning was
only <7.
EVENING
FINAL
, PRICE DAILY Se, SUNDAY 10e
Cardinal Mindsze
Freed From Prison:
BEFORE A.C.T. PLAY TONIGHT
Sadler Vaudeville
Couple to
"There never waa but one Har-
Perform
But they always thought their
ley Sadler — he was just a prince, best time was while they were
traveling with Harley Sadler ...
Chet Wilson, blackface singer
and dancer and a former member
of the old White Minstrels, will be
the other preliminary performer
with the Mundees.
The play is directed by Mrs.,
Frank Peebles with Nell McFall
and Mrs. Raymond Thomason Jr.
as assistants. Bob Ford is techni-
cal director, and Leonard Gold-
blatt is stage manager.
that’s all."
That waa Mra. June Mundee’s
recollection of the great West Tex-
as showman in whose troupe she
and her husband travelled for 14
years.
Mr. and Mrs. Conny Mundee,
who are known professionally as
Mundee and June, are in Abilene
to perform at the start of the
Harley Sadler Memorial Show
Thursday and Friday nights.
The show will start at 7:15 p.m.
with a concert by the pit orches-
tra. The Mundees will be at 7:30
p.m., followed by the play, "A
Full House," at 8:10 p.m.
Held in Fair Park auditorium,
it is sponsored by the Abilene
Community Theater.
Joined in 1933
The Mundees joined Sadler’s big
tent show in 1933, after having
spent more than 30 years as a
juggling team on some of the
world’s biggest vaudeville cir-
cuits.
"In all the years of our show
business, we never enjoyed our
work as much as we did with
him,” Mrs. Mundee recalled. "He
was always ready to help in any-
thing to make life pleasant for
everybody." .
When they joined the show, it
had an 18 : piece pit orchestra
and more than 50 people in the
troupe.
"We had heard about him for
years before we ever joined him,”
Mrs. Mundee went on. "But we
were smazed at what we aaw
when we got down here."
The Mundees, native Pennsyl-
vanians, settled in Dallas after the
show’s last season in 1947. They
still play club dates, conventions,
and variety shows occasionally.
Covered Globe
Before they joined Sadler, the
Mundees had pretty well covered
the globe. They bad done their jug-
gling act in most of the world’s
big cities and many of its ham-
lets.
They were married in 1909, hav-
ing met while Mrs. Mundee was
attending business college. Mundee
and a brother-he had five, all in
show business—were the team
then.
But in 1912 Mrs. Mundee joined
the act and has been juggling
hoops. Indian clubs, hats, discs,
and most everything else with her
husband ever since.
Mundee and June — they were
known as Conny and June in Sad-
ler’s show — worked most of the
bigtime vaudeville circuits, includ-
ing Schubert, Loew, Keith, Orph-
eum Time, and Pantages.
They played on the same bills
with Sophie Tucker, Groucho
Marx. Bob Burns, Burns and Al-
len, Theodore Roberts, Eva Tan-
guay, and "all the big ones.”
Russia Threatens
To End Treaty
BULLETIN
MOSCOW on—Russia warned
France today that ratification
of the Paris Agreements to re-
arm West Germany "will cross
out and annul” the French-
Soviet Mutual Assistance
Treaty of 1M4.
The warning was to a formal
note handed by Soviet Foreign
Minister V. M. Molotov to the
French ambasador, Louis Joxe.
Firm Offers to Buy Back
Farms From Texas Vets
AUSTIN Vn—An attorney for
three South Texas land develop-
ment companies told the State Vet-
erans Land Board today the com-
pany wants to buy back land they
have sold any veteran who is dis-
satisfied with his purchase.
Everett Looney of Austin ap-
peared before the full board at a
meeting called in connection with
alleged irregularities in veteran
land deals in South Texas.
He said if any dissatisfied vet-
eran will convey back his land
bought from any of the three corp-
orations. the co—nations will as-
sume the obligation of paying all
delinquencies and meet all future
installments.
JOSEF CARDINAL MINDSZENTY
... life sentence
Agriculture
CenterLand
To Be Sold
Taylor County will have its
chance Friday morning to pur-
chase a site for a livestock - agri-
cultural center and State Highway
36 right-of-way for a new route.
City Commission is to open bids
in its 9 a.m. Friday meeting on
about 130 acres of city-owned old
Municipal Airport land east of
town.
Roughly 101 acres of that land
is the tentative site for the county
divestock - agricultural center. Ap-
proximately 29 acres will be right-
of-way for a new location of
State Highway 36.
The County Commissioners'
Court was told some time ago by
the City Commission that the city
would be willing to sell the 130-
acre tract for approximately $65,-
000.
Bids for the land purchase have
been advertised by the city. Right
to reject any or all bids is re-
served.
Other matters on Friday's agen-
da include:
(1) Consideration of making a
contract with Kenneth Etheridge
for engineering services for con-
version of the Lake Kirby water
treatment plant into ground stor-
age. Etheridge is a consulting en-
gineer here, and former Abilene
city engineer.
121 Final passage of an ordi-
nance, formalizing the city’s Dec.
7 sale of $2.85 million worth of its
bonds to a group of 10 investment
houses. (The purchase was award-
ed Dec. 7 on the best bid.)
Looney said he represented the
Rio Val Development Co . Winter
Garden Development Co., and the
I Alamo Development Co.
Read to Board
A latter was read to the board
making the offer specifically in
regard to 763.8 acres of land in
Maverick County sold to the board
Jan. 1, 1951, for $149,969 and con-
veyed to 21 veteran purchasers.
The lottor was signed "Rio Dev-
elopment Co., by C.L. Carey, presi-
dent." The return address was a
Yoakum post office box.
"We make thia unconditional of-
fer in view of the persistent pub-
licity which seems to question the
good faith of t’s parties to this
transaction," the letter said.
Looney said the offer also applied
to all lands aold the board by any
of the three companies.
Looney also asked the board to
approve or disapprove at once five
pending land aales by Rio Val—one
in Bexar County, two in Zavalla
See LAND, Page %A. Cal. a
Out for a Week,
Church Press Says
VIENNA, Austria mn—The Aus-
trian Catholic news service Kath-
press said today that Josef Cardi-
nal Mindszenty has been released
from prison in Hungary.
Kathpress said it received 1a-
formation tram well-informed
sources in Budapest that the
cardinal had been freed one week
ago and had gone to his diocese.
The Catholic news service report
said, under a Budapest dateline:
"In usually well-informed circles
of the Hungarian capital it was
reported yesterday that Cardinal
Mindszenty, who has been held in
prison since 1949, was released •
eteran on Trial
In Marijuana Case
Argument began at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday in the case of the State
against James Potts, 21-year-old
Negro war veteran, charged with
possession of marijuana on last
May 10.
The case was transferred from
42nd District Court to the 104th
District Court, where it was be-
ing tried Thursday morning.
Testimony was completed about
noon, when Judge Owen Thomas
recessed the jury for lunch.
State Liquor Control Board In-
spector K. O. Pierce testified he
saw Potts at Aaron Smith’s resi-
dence at 518% State St., Abilene,
on the night he, Policemen Isbell
and Ross and other officers went
to the place.
Pierce testified ha saw Potts’
hand go from his slipper to a sat-
chel under the bed. In the folds
of the satchel, he said, he found
one marijuana cigaret and the butt
of another.
These were sent to the State
Department of Public Safety Lab-
oratory at Austin for examination.
Wiley Caffey, district attorney,
read a letter from the department
which said the examination dis-
closed marijuana.
Defense witness Aaron Smith tes-
tified the suitcase did not belong
to Potts or himself, but to a man
now living in California. “I don't
know where it came from," he
Attack Death Cause
LONGVIEW (n—A heart attack
was ruled as the cause of death
for Louis Cooper, 73, Texarkana
man who collapsed and died while
talking to a group of men yester-
day on Highway 8.
said. Smith admitted he had had
brushes with the G-men himself.
Potts testified he had been in
Taylor County jail for the past
seven months. At the time of ar-
rest, he said, he was working for
a construction company at the Abi-
lene Air Force Base. He said he
had seen actual combat and has
an honorable discharge from the
Army. He was stationed in Korea
and Japan, he said.
R. M. Freeman. West Texas
Utilities Co, employe, said Potts
had worked at odds jobs for him
an bad borrowed money from
him. “His work was satisfactory
and he paid what he had borrow-
ed,” Freeman said.
Jack Tidwell was counsel for
Potts.
The jury trying Ao case con-
sists of W. T. Jordan, Box 903;
C. 0. McGlothlin, 2003 Brentwood
St.; L. S. Forester, 2409 North
14th St., J. C. Roberts, 1M North
19th St.; J. D. Smith, 1726 West-
moreland St; Jimmy Skinner, 17M
North 14th St.; Arthur L. Jenke,
4049 Stratford; Wright Dishman,
Merkel; Willie A. Feely, 1M Mock-
ingbird Lane; Norman Fitzgerald,
1342 Sylvan Dr.; Paul M. Bonine,
3126 Grand Ave., and Wade Wal-
dan. Mid Over Blvd.
week ago and has gone to Mg
diocese.
“While diplomatic quarters to
Budapest know nothing exactly
about his release, the archbishop’s
palace at Esztergom (Minds-
zenty’s Diocese) declared that the
primate is not staying to Eszter-
“The report of the cardinal’s re.
lease itself was neither confirmed
nor denied by the palace.”
Endre Marian, Ass dated Press
telephone he had heard nothing to
indicate that Cardinal Mindszenty
has been released.
The Communists arrested Minds-
zenty on Dec. 26, 1948, after a
long naming fight with the cardinal
who as an archbishop had been
imprisoned by the Nazis far hie
defiance.
From the time he was raised to
the rank of cardinal in February,
1946, Mindszenty had fought the
Russian occupation forces and the
Hungarian Communists who gradu-
ally took over the country. The
battle reached a high pitch when
the Communists announced plane
to nationalize Roman Catholic
schools. When the law was insti-
toted, the cardinal ordered church
balls throughout Hungary to toU.
In subsequent statements Minds-
zenty warned against Communist
propaganda and urged Catholics to
boycott the government.
Mindszenty was sentenced to life
imprisonment by a Rad court Feb.
8, 1949. The court convicted him of
treason, seeking to overthrow the
Communist government in favor of
the Hapsburg monarchy and illegal
trading in dollars from the United
States and the Vatican.
NeanyTul
Abilene’s “football special” to
Houston la scheduled to leave
View at 11:59 p.m. Friday night,
and should arrive to Houston bo-
fore s am. Saturday morning.
Bob Nail, assistant high school
principal, disclosed Thursday.
Leaving Houston at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, the train is due back
Q in View at 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
TA *
JUDGING TONIGHT
58 in Christmas
Lighting Contest
Lights on SB homes, schools and
churches will flash on Thursday
night for judging in the annuel
Christmas Lighting Contest.
The SB entries, including Houston
School and Fairmont Methodist
Church as the sole entries in two
classes, were the total received
by the Abilene Chamber of Com-
merce at deadline Wednesday.
Preliminary judging by mem-
ban of the garden clubs, a city
official, and a representative of
the Reporter-News will be held
Thursday night. Finals will be Fri-
day.
Here is a complete list of en-
tries, which will be kept up and
lighted nightly until Jan. 1.
1. Residence exterior:
SOUTHSIDE - Mrs. Harry Sola-
day, 2202 Grand Ave., C. B. Ward,
2174 Monticello Dr . P. H. Dun-
ham, 4049 Waldemar Dr., Mrs.
Jack Evans, 1409 Sylvan Dr., A.
J Thompson, 2642 South Seventh
St., the John DeFord children.
9442 South 10th St., Mrs. Jack Dav-
is. 1100 San Jose Dr . John C.
Mayfield Jr., 1725 Tanglewood Dr.,
D. F. McCarty, 4133 Richmond
Dr., Carl Mahan, 1018 Elmwood
Dr., Mrs. Joe Gaylor, 1117 Buc-
caneer Dr., W W. Davin, Ml Mon-
ticello Dr., Mrs. Ira Allen Sr.,
531 Santos St (south entrance on
South Sixth St.), Mrs William H.
Biggers, 1701 Woodard St. Harold
S. Edwards, 1101 Westridge Dr.
NORTHSIDE— Elliott’s Funeral
Home, Ml Hickory St., Mrs. R.
W Edwards, 1000 Cedar Crest Dr.,
Mrs Wilton Darts, 1M Shelton
St., Frank W. Levett, 1001 Uni-
versity Blvd
2. School exterior — Houston
School, North Sixth and Cotton-
wood Sts.
s. Living out-door tree:
SOUTHSIDE—Mrs. Ernest Gris-
som, 1301 Legett Dr., C. 1. Ward.
4174 Monticello Dr., Frank Dart-
eon. 3226 Waverly St., James Har-
rie. 309 Cherry St.
NORTHSIDE- Mickey Gilbreth,
2042 North Ninth St., Mrs. W. V.
Flippen, 440 Orange St.
4. Church -Fairmont Methodist
See CONTEST, Page %A, Col. a
THE WEATHER
' FIGHT 19/
I At noon Thursday, there were
/ 25 tickets left for the train out
* of the original 440, and the re.
, . mainder were expected to go in a
hurry. Santa Fa has dashed any
• hopes that additional cars might
* be obtained for the trip. Those
• which will make up the special
,, had to bo rented from another
line, because the armed forces
o. are making heavy calls on Santa
Fe facilities, Nall said.
A With train personnel, school
F sponsors and other special per-
I sons, it is expected that the train
" will actually have about 500 per-
" sons on board when it leaves Abl
J. C. Penrod Rites
Incomplete Here
Funeral arrangements for 3.|ed by the Lions Clubs of Texas.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
WEATHER BUREAU
ABILENE AND VICINITY —Continued
fair through Friday, except for dust this
afternoon and toniant, turning cooler this
afternoon, colder tonight and Friday, Hirh
mt, = mom *=%
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS: Generally
fair through Friday, Colder tonight and
Friday. Lowest 25-35 tonight.
WEST TEXAS: Generally fair, colder
in Panhandle and upper South Plains this
afternoon and in all except Del Rio-Eagle
Pass area tonight. Lowest 18-25 in Pan
handle and upper South Plains and 25-35
elsewhere tonight. Friday, fair and cool.
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS: Generally
fair, warmer this afternoon. Cooler Friday
toad. M.north tomlent. Lowest * * In north
_ TEMPERATURES
Wed. P. M. Thurs. A. M.
60 ............1:30 ............
62 ............2:30-.......se
• 63 '............3:20 ............se
62 ............4:30 ............4
59 ............5.20 -..........4
se ............6:20 •
• ...........7:20............1
5 ............8 20...........•
............9:30 ...........:
Clyde Penrod, 63, Abilene petro-
leum products dealer and civic
leader, were incomplete Thursday
morning. They were to be an-
nounced by Laughter-North Fune-
ral Home.
Mr. Penrod died at 9:50 p.m.
Wednesday to Harris Memorial
Hospital, Fort Worth. He suffer-
ed a heart attack last Saturday
at Farrington Field, Fort Worth,
between halves of the Abilene
High-Fort Worth Polytechnic foot-
ball game, and was admitted to
the hospital.
He was Humble oil products
wholesale and retail agent here.
In 1952 Mr. Peered was elected
Mr. Penrod was one of the
creation of the Young Men’s
Christian Association here, a cam-
paign which led to conversion of
the former USO building at North
Second and Beech Sts. into Abi-
lene’s present highly active
YMCA.
Ha waa elected to 1946 as tem-
porary chairman of the YMCA’s
board of directors at the time the
Y waa started. During the same
year he waa elected president, the
first person to head the organiza-
tion.
a.
last night 5.35 p.m. Sunrise t
Sumeak tomiah 1?M p.m.
may
to a one - year term aa president
af Abilene Lions Club.
He was a member of the club
14% years, transferring here from
the Plainview club.
Mr. Penrod was an active lead-
er in the local charity work and
the boys’ and girls’ assistance pro-
jects of Abilene Lions Club.
One of his principal interests,
also, was the Texas Lions Camp
tor Crippled Children, at Kerr-
ville. He was one of the original
$100 - subscription life members,
and a regular and consistent dow-
er to the work. The camp provides
free camping periods for crippled -------- ------
children, and to owned and operat-jher father’s fon
In 1947 he was re - elected pres-
ident.
Hs was born in Collingsworth
County and attended school in
Wellington. He graduated from
Baylor University.
Mr. Penrod came to Abilene to
1939,
Survivors include his wife: one
son, Byron, 16, both of 1173 Hollis
Dr.: two daughters, Mrs. J. W.
Spence of Dimmitt and Roberta
Penrod of Tokyo, Japan; his moth-
er, Mrs. N. E. Penrod of Lub-
bock; two sisters, Mrs. John Toles
of Lubbock and Mrs. Gracy Jen-
sen of Minneapolis, Minn.
Roberta Penrod, a U. S. gov-
ernment, employe in Tokyo, is
coming home by plane to attend
1
1 *
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 180, Ed. 2 Thursday, December 16, 1954, newspaper, December 16, 1954; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1649666/m1/1/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Public Library.