Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-20
Guardsmen Pafroling
Phenix City; Killer Of
Crime Foe Is Hunted
~ the Assoeioted Press

troops patrolled this jittery town
tonight while police hunted q
gunman who killed Albert L. Pat
terSon, Alabama's anti-vice cru
sading Democratic nominee for
Attorney General.
And Adjutant General Walter
j. Hanna, in personal command
of the State militia, said that
gambling has stopped and will
remain stopped. We will keep
troops here until this is COM
pletely cleaned up.
1.-THE show is over in Phenix
City"
He added, however, that he
has no intention of putting
Phenix City under martial law
unless the situation grows worse.
HOnky- TOnks Closed.
City officials ordered all cafes,
honky-tonkS and amusement
places closed at 8 pm. Saturday.
About IS National GuardSmen
were brought into this once gay
haven of fun seekers, and Ad-
iutant General Hanna said more
can be moved in on short notice
if needed.
MY job here is to preserve law
and order, and we intend to do
that" the adjutant general said.
A National Guard helicopter
circled above Phenix City in an
effort to spot any illegal mass
gatherings.
Gov. Gordon Persons said the
GuardSmen were ordered in as
a precautionary measure to pre-
vent possible trouble. He au-
thorized Adjutant Genera
Hanna to take whatever steps
he deems necessary to keep
peace because of what he de-
scribed as high feeling between
rival political factions.
Gov. Persons offered a $4,000
reward for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of
the person who fired three bull
lets in Mr.. Patterson last night
as he sat in his parked car.
"Off Limits" to Army.
The Army posted an unprec-
edented "off limits" sign on the
town for soldiers from nearby
Fort Benning, Ga, worlds larg-
est infantry training center.
Individual night spots offering
gambling and other inducements
TO Fort Benning soldiers have
been put off limits from time to
time, but never before has the
entire city been declared out of
bounds.
Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Harper,
commanding general of Fort
Benning, said he took the drastic
action at the request of Gov.
Persons.
Meanwhile, the manager of
the Phenix City Chamber of
Commerce, Alton v. Foster, re-
signed his job and said he would
move to another city because
this has reached the point
where I personally cannot en-
dure it any longer. I'm through"
Mr.. Foster said he will seek
q similar job in another city and
expressed the hope that residents
of Phenix City will some day
rise up and eliminate the cause
of this situation"
Footprints Clue.
Only a faint trail of footprints
gave State, county and city OFF,
GERS the tiniest glimmer of hope
they have some clue that could
lead them to the gunman.
Joe Smelley. chief criminal
investigator for the State De-
partment of Public Safety,
ordered casts made of the shoe
tracks leading of from the
downtown alley where the
Democratic nominee for attorney
general was slain.
Russell County Sheriff Ralph
Mathews and Police Chief Pal
Daniel of Phenix City mean
while ordered a roundup of all
known criminals in hope OF
picking up some thin thread Of
evidence.
Sheriff Mathews put up a
personal reward of $500 for in
formation leading to the slayer
Of the 63-year-old Phenix City
lawyer who campaigned for at
torney general on a promise
to rid Alabama of organized
crime" He had charged that
"racketeers" spent fantastic"
sum to beat him in the Demo-
cratic primary race.
Circuit Solicitor (Prosecutor
Arch Terrell issued a statement
saying that "all the people. like
myself, are deeply shocked and
outraged and extremely hopeful
that the vicious murderer will
be apprehended at the earliest
possible moment and dealt with
according to the Severest limits
Of justice"
Prosecutor Accused.
Howard Pennington, president
of the crime-flghting Roosevelt
Betterment Association, has
charged that Mr.. Terrell is the
brains" of a political organiza-
ton through which the under
world controls politics here.
Mr.. Terrell, who would prose-
cute Mr.. Patterson's slayer, de-
MED this.
A subcommittee of the State
Democratic executive committee
is now engaged in investigating
charges of vote buying. illegal
marking of ballots and bullying