davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-02-08

block Of M street that wa
owned by the Orme estate. Ia,
disadvantages made it impos'
sible for the estate to sell.
But a trade could be made
tax-free.
So the geographic society
bought the K street property
to trade for the M street site
Thus the society gained, too
by the transaction. It acquired
the site 1t needed.
The Orme estate also gained
It received the K street prop
erty from the geographic So
ciety-and, with 1t, a yearly in
come greater than it had re-
ceived from its M street garage
Leased Back
The attractive income from
the K street property. as a
matter Of fact, was the built-in
heart Of the transaction.
For, as q part Of the arrange
ment, the Real Estate Title In
surance Co. (headed by Leo
Bernstein, an imaginative en-
terpriser in this field agreed
to lease back the K street
building for its own use and
for other tenants. at an annual
rental Of $4,000 yearly for Is
years, with seven five-year re-
newal options.
Likewise, a gamer was thu
District itself. A problem prop
erty was fixed up and will nov
be on the tax rolls at a higher
assessed valuation than before
Evening star., 1961-02-08
By ROBERT J. LEWIS
Star Staff Writer

A practical city-renewal prof.
ect can pay off for everybody.
Here's the story of how a build
ing bought for $450, 900 has
been fixed up and sold for
$1.260,000. III
It illustrates one way city
renewal advocates expect to
finance q part of the multi
Inillion-dollar cost Of making
downtown Washington more
attractive and more useful.
It also illustrates how you
can spend hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars and not be a
penny out Of pocket.
This exhilarating prospect
is based on the little-known
technique Of creating value. "
Fifteen months ago, the
seven-story building at 1924 K
street NV. was old and seedy.
It was built by Senator Red
field Proctor Of Vermont back
in 1905 as the Champlain
Apartments.
New Owner Acts
After over so years use, its
heating system was worn out,
its single elevator complained
on every trip. AS an investment,
the building was about as at
tractive as Boris Karloff in the
role Of Frankenstein's monster.
At this point, a new owner
(the District Title Insurance
Evening star., 1961-02-08
Gurrett Park Gets
New Postmistress

Mrs. Olive Parsons formally
was installed as postmistress
at Garrett Park. Md, today-in
the first such appointment o1
the Kennedy administration.
An employe Of the country
type post office for more than
eight years, she had been serv-
ing as acting poStmistress since
the Democratic election in No
vember and the subsequent res
ignation Of Mrs. Marty Borror
as poStmistresS.
Mrs. Borror. q Republican,
had been postmistress only a
short time. taking over when
Mrs. Lima Penn retired in Octo-
ber after IS years service.
In brief installation ceremo-
nies, Mrs. Parsons received her
Post Office Department COM
mission from Mrs. Ann Brown,
q Garrett Park resident who
also is vice chairman Of the
Montgomery County Demo-
cratic State Central Committee.
Mayor Edward D. Friedman
also participated.
Evening star., 1961-02-08

went 2l1 degrees above that
point.
The normal January degree
day is s93. Last months de-
grees came to 1881, they point
ed out.
Using these computations,
the fuel representatives said
the month Of December was
about Is per cent colder than
normal and last month was
some 2l per cent colder.
% Sales Heavy
The. local coal and electric
companies reported they are
unable to estimate how much
fuel they've sold this winter
although they said sales were
unusually heavy.
But oil and gas representa-
tives said their sales might
well have reached an all-time
high.
Consumers used 50 per cent
more gas heat through De-
cember-January than they did
last year, a Washington Gas
Light Co. spokesman said,
A fuel company spokesman
said officials Of his firm este
mate they viii sell q total Of
100 million Gallons--1o million
more than last year~for the
heating season.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
HACKER FINED FOR STICKER
EVEN THOUGH OUT OF CITY

In memo form, Municipal Court opinion yesterday
would have read this way:
From Municipal Court Judge George D. Nelson
To- Washington taxi drivers
Subject: Insurance stickers removal Of.
Cab drivers who fail to remove insurance Stickers
by the weekly deadne expect tickets You still
considered the cabs operator If the taxi parked
and you have left town.
This the given, in more legal language,
to Jack T. Worton, &c. of 1113 Pennsylvania NV
Mr. Worton, the judge said parked his cab in the 100
block of street NV January and left for Virginia
without peeling off the insurance sticker.
It cost him $5 yesterday in court. Judge Nelson i'm
posed the fine after ruling that Mr. Worton though
out of town. had been the cabs operator just
Evening star., 1961-02-08
4 Hurt in Crash
Of Auto and Bus

-Four persons-two women and
their children-were treated at
Alexandria Hospital today after
/ a collision between their car
and a Greyhound bus in the
$500 block Of Richmond high
way at Groveton, Va.
The four are Mrs. Elizabeth
Powell, As, Of 703 Sherwood
Hall lane in Fairfax County,
and her son, Douglas, II, who
were on their way to the hos
pital to visit Mrs. Powell's hus-
band, Jack, a patient there;
Mrs. Elaine Hodge, %, of 100
Northrop lane, Fairfax, and her
daughter, Debra, 8.
They were treated for cuts
and bruises.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
SprinkIers Urged
For Nursing Homes
Report on Fire
Expected Friday
Or Saturday

After a two-hour closed meet
ing today, members Of the
Citizens Advisory Council in
vestigating last Wednesdays
fire at the Mount Vernon Nurs-
ing Home said they would
question two more witnesses
tomorrow.
Milton w. King, council
chairman, said he believes that
will conclude the investigation
of the fire, which was fatal to
seven bed-ridden patients. He
said he hoped to present the
councils report to District
Commissioners on Friday or
Saturday.
Members said the report will
recommend sprinkler system
requirements but will generally
approve present fire regulations.
Detective to be Heard
Mr.. King said the 3 pm.
session will be held tomorrow
to hear the detective who dis
covered the fire and dashed
inside the home to save several
patients lives, and the man
who repaired the homes fur
mace shortly before the disaster.
Robert c. Walker, New York
architectural engineering con-
sultant who investigated the
Knickerbocker Theater disaster
OF 1922. was a surprise visitor
to the nursing home today.
Mr.. Walker toured the
charred and blackened home
at 230l Calvert street NV.
with the Citizens Advisory
Council.
The council spent nearly an
hour in the building and then
went into executive session at
the home of Mrs. Harold NJ
Marsh, a council member. Mr..
Council Chairman Milton w.
King said after the tour that
the home seems more substan-
tial than he expected.
No "OfficiaI" Role
Mr.. Walker, the New York
consultant, said he had no Of
ficial part in the investigation
but that he had received a
message that q District official
wanted to see him. He said
he presumed it was because of
the Mount Vernon fire so he
Joined the investigating tour.
When a fire department Of
ficial asked Mrs. Marsh if she
had seen enough. she said, 81
think we've all seen too much"
Snow and ice had drifted
through broken windows and
holes In the roof. A layer of
ice covered the floor Of the
upper room where seven bed
ridden patients lost their lives.
Towels, toilet articles and an
undamaged toy snowman were
scattered about the upper
rooms.
Evening star., 1961-02-08

Madison avenue, 6yaLCSVlIIe
Md, last June "a.
The FBI seized a .38-calibel
pistol and a collection of por.
nographic material, including
note describing an abduction
and several murders. The note
is said to be in the 32-year-
old defendants handwriting.
Warrant an Issue
Defense Attorney William ]
ODonnell told reporters today
the question before Judge
Thomson is one of search anc
seizure. He said there was M
search warrant issued before
FBI men went into Rees' home
and declared the defense ha'
filed an objection to the use
Of any evidence uncovered
there.
The Baltimore FBI field
office, asked If there had beer
a warrant, said it had no COM
ment. Ut was understood
that written consent for the
search had been obtained from
Rees' parents)
Judge Thomson convened
the court briefly this morning
to explain to the jury that the
arguments in his chamber;
would continue throughout the
day. He said the trial, now
in its ninth day, would resume
at 10:30 am. tomorrow anc
excused the jurors. Presumably
the jurist will rule tomorrow or
the defense motion to quasi
what is probably the keystone
of the Governments case.
Statement Issued
After dismissing the jury
all men, Judge Thomson ISSUED
THE following statement:
Yesterday afternoon the de
fendant filed a motion dealing
with the admissibi!ity of GER
tain evidence.
This motion requires thI
taking Of certain testimon!
which, with the approval Of TIL
Government, defendant atll
THE court, Is being taken ou
of the presence Of the jury
but, Of course. with the de-
fendant present. After tn,
court rules on this motion
such evidence as the court rule
admissible may be offered II
evidence before the jury"
The disputed search of tn,
Rees home was made the da,
Rees was arrested by FBI agent'
in West Memphis, Ark. in con-
nection with the Staying of Mrs
Margaret v. Harold near Gam
Drills. Md, in 1857.
Thus far, in seven days o!
trial, the Governments case
had appeared to be largely
circumstantial. Witnesses have
testified Rees left Ocean View
Va, near Norfolk, about sun.
down on January II, 1859, the
day the four Jacksons disap.
peared. However, no witness
has been able to say whether
ReeS did or did not arrive ir
Washington later that night tt
play a musical engagement al
Harrigan'S Restaurant, 72!
Ninth street S.W.
There are no known eye
witnesses to the crime which
wiped out the Jackson family
Mr.. jackson. a 29-year-old
Apple Grove (Va.) truck driver
was taking his family home in
their car on Route 500 near
Evening star., 1961-02-08

Bumpass, Louisa County, Va.
about 8 pm. on January II
The next day their car wa!
found abandoned on the sidt
of the road.
On March 4, 1859, the bodie!
Of the father and an infant
daughter, Janet, 18 months
were found in the woods neal
Fredericksburg. The father haC
been shot and the child wal
dead of exposure. Seventeen
days later the mother, Mrs
Mildred Jackson, 81, was founc
strangled in a shallow grave
near Gambrills, in Anne Arun-
del County. Md. The other
daughter, Susan Anne, S, lay
dead beside her.
Government Prosecutors H
Russell Smouse and Robert E
Cahill produced one witness
yesterday whose testimony in
dicated Rees was familiar with
the Gambrills area. Hubert E
Tedder, who said he worked
in a Sawmill there until re-
Gently, testified he frequently
saw Rees. in a Gambrills area
tavern called Goldie's.
Defense Attorney William j
ODonnell asked Mr.. Tedder il
he had ever worked in a saw
mill in Virginia but the wit.
ness replied mo" There were
sawmills located near bott
Maryland and Virginia scenes
at which the bodies were
found.
Another Government wit
ness, Miss Ivy Levchenko, oi
Oxon Run, Md, testified yes.
terday before the alI-male jury
that Rees was her music teach.
er in January. 1858. She de.
clared he appeared ''Iinkempt
had not shaved and looked dis.
orderly" when he gave her {
piano lesson at $3.50 pm. Jan,
uary IL. 1859. the day aftel
the Jacksons vanished.
Tells Of Resemblance
\ Yesterday. i pretty Yiraiial:
4 housewife. Mrs. Barbara Waid.
] rup Of Beaver Dam, told tht
I jury how a wild looking man
with a peaked face and dark
bushy hair, tried to force theii
family car off a lonely roat
about IS miles from where tn,
jackson car was found on. Vir'
tginia Route SIT.
II see a person in the court
room who resembles tina
man." she said in response tt
a question, walked over to Rec
and pointed him out. But she
told the jury in loud. firm
tones:
II could not swear he is thu
man but he definitely resem.
bles the man who stopped u.
that night"
Earlier, Mrs. Mary Scar.
borough, a Norfolk (Va.) wait.
ress, who had been staying at 6
beach cottage there with Rees
Pat Routt and Glenn L. Moser
testified she had last seen Rec.
at 1880 am. on the day of the
crime. When she returned from
work at 9::30 pm, she said
Rees was gone and MoSer was
playing the guitar in the kitchen
with Pat Routt.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
SuIvutionists
Are Seekino
Welfare Aid

The Salvation Army office
here, swamped with a rush OF
requests for food, clothing and
heating fuel. today asked for
emergency assistance from area
welfare authorities.
The welfare organization,
which has overspent its Janu-
ary United Givers Fund allot-
ment by $500, has requested
a special meeting with National
Capital Area Health and We'll
fare Council officials.
The meeting, at which army
spokesmen will seek funds
and/or additional assistance
from other welfare groups, will
be held at 10 am. tomorrow.
Maj. Eupha Gibson, welfare
secretary at the army's District
office, 504 Fifth street NV,
said: Were desperate down
here. They're lined up
I've had to close the door with
a note to come back later"
1--WE gave assistance to over
TOO people in January. This is
the hardest winter I've ever
seen," she said.
Normally, a heavy month is
one in which aid is given to 400
people. Maj. Gibson said. Many
Of the applicants for aid, she
said, have exhausted unemploy-
ment compensation benefits or
have just begun to apply for
them. Others are construction
workers prevented from work.
ing by winter storms.
The organization gives the
applicants food orders for use
in local grocery stores and ex-
tends credit to fuel firms. So
far, no one has been turned
away.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
COUNTY BUYS
FEED FOR BIRDS
HIT BY SHOWS

Hungry birds in Prince
Georges County are getting
a 5000 handout from the
county commissioners.
The appropriation for
nearly $500 pounds Of bird
seed was made yesterday to
feed birds deprived Of their
usual winter feed by heavy
SHOWS.
Action was taken at the
request Of Mrs. Charlotte
Shaffer, president Of the
county Amin al Rescue
League. She said Boy
Scouts will place the bird
seed.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
Sofe Looted Of $1,000
At BenduIl Motors

A safe at Bendall Motor
Sales. Inc4 1925 Prince street,
Alexandria, was broken open
last night and about $1,000
stolen. city police reported.
Police said q door of the
building had been forced open.
The thieves used an acetylene
torch they found in the build
ing to cut the safe open, police
said.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
Freight DeroiIed
Near SykesviIIe

SYKESVILLE, Md, Feb. 8
(AP).-Thirty-one cars of q, rs
car Baltimore & Ohio freight
train were derailed near here
today, State police reported.
Police said IS cars were over
turned near the Maryland 81
crossing. No casualties were
reported.
A railroad spokesman said
the derailed cars did not block
the main line, and that passen-
ger scheduled would not be
delayed.
Sykesville is about 20 miles
west of Baltimore.
Evening star., 1961-02-08

bllls were about 25 per cent
higher, they warned.
And the representatives could
see no !, relief this month,
since temperature averages for
February-which already has
brought two winter storms-up
to last night we're already 80
per cent lower than for the
same time last year.
This year, fuel companies
said, may well be the costliest
ever, depending on how the
weather is through the rest Of
the heating season" that
started in September and win
end sometime In May.
The December and January
bills already have cost home
owners and apartment dwellers
two-thirds Of what the COM
panies consider normal fuel
costs for the entire season.
Degree Days"
The fuel companies estimate
fuel consumption on the basis
Of what the Weather Bureau
calls degree days"
The bureau has arbitrarily
picked an average temperature
Of IS degrees for q 24.hour
period as the break-off point
In home heating.
Each degree under the IS
average temperature mark
amounts to o degree day. For
example, Q day with an aver
age temperature Of "a would
be q 1-degree day.
BY using this gauge. the COM
panies said, 1t is easy to see
why fuel bills have gone up.
The normal December de-
gree day-based on tempera-
lures Of some 30 years-is 837.
they said. This past December
Evening star., 1961-02-08
Bill Rescues
Lafayette
Park Setting

Representative Kearns. Re-
publican Of Pennsylvania. has
introduced a bill which would
save the Lafayette Park setting
as well as establish a Com
mission on Cultural Resources"
for the District.
The commission. according to
Mr.. Kearns. would develop local
cultural resources and advance
fine arts.
The legislation carries the
provision that no Federal funds
would be expended for the raz-
ing Of existing buildings or
construction Of buildings sur
rounding Lafayette Park. Con-
gress, however, has previously
appropriated funds for two
office buildings in the area.
The commission would be
permanent. 1t would be made
up of "a members including
members Of Congress on the
Senate and House District
Committees, the Secretary of
Health. Education and Welfare,
the Commissioner Of Educa-
ton. the director Of the Park
Service, the General Services
Administrator. and 40 distin-
guiShed educators and cultural
leaders" who would be ap-
pointed by the President.
The commission would have
a year to develop improvements
in the cultural life Of the city
so that 1t might become equal
In cultural matters to the cap
ital cities Of other nations. {"
It would also submit to Con-
gress 3 comprehensive plan
on the ways and means of
using the buildings on Lafayette
Park. as well as other suitable
existing buildings in the Cap
ital." ... a..
Evening star., 1961-02-08

AT THE HEIGHT of the
controversy, the New York
Sun slipped this warning or
view of alarm between longer
editorials, it read:
Thru"
Theodore Roosevelt had a
marvellous, some say an imp
ish, sense of knowing when
he had stirred up enough
trouble. Before Congress met
he Withdrew his Executive
Order. If he had not, Ameri-
can spelling might have been
a matter Of Federal statute.
Looked over today, it is
hard to understand how the
300 words raised such a fuss.
Many Of the changes are
now preferred, especially the
simplihcation Of the Greek
diphthongs. Encyclopedia
now comes ahead OF Ency-
clopaedia in the dictionaries.
But in the use of the pho
netic IT" instead of led" the
movement failed. Fixed Is
still fixed and not fixt::
dipped is still dipped not
dipt.. +
Oh well. All this was a re-
minder that there was a Wig
orous simplifier Of spelling in
our day, Col. Robert Ruther-
ford Mccormick of the Chi
cago Tribune.
The Rambler telephoned
Walter Trojan, the Tribune'S
Washington correspondent,
to ask what had happened
to "frate" and "sherif," after
the Colonel died.
Walter laughed.
They've gone back to the
older spelling" he said. "In
1855 we made an announce
ment that we were changing
back to the older spelling in
order not to make more diff
cult for young America to
learn how to spell. We got
rid of such paradoxes of re-
formed spelling as 'fotog-
raphy' and 'philosofy.' But
we stick to 'thoro' and thru"
After all these years thru"
has come through.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
Montgomery.
OfficiuIsA Ask
Snow Policy

Montgomery County officials
yesterday proposed snow emer-
gency restrictions for. area
roads. &
Joseph C. Kordella. public
works director, told the county
council that such restrictions.
similar to those In the District,
are desperately needed" in the
county.
County authorities should be
empowered. he said, to prohibit
parking on main arteries, ban
the operation of cars without
chains or snow tires and tow
abandoned vehicles which block
the areas principal streets.
The Maryland Legislature Is
considering similar restrictions
on State highways.
Draft Of Plan Asked
The council indicated it
would probably favor, such q
measure and instructed Mr..
Kordella and County Attorney
Alfred H. Carter to frame q
proposal along those lines.
Another county agency, the
Civil Defense Advisory Board,
asked the council to support
its emergency plans.
DR., Ellis Johnson, chairman
of the CD evaluation commit.
tee, warned the council that
the Nation is approaching q
period Of the greatest danger. "
He said there Is an urgent
need In the county not only for
more home shelters but also
for education Of the comY1iu.
nifty in ways Of surviving q nu.
clear attack.
Jail Aid Asked
Plans must also be laid, he
added, for organizing the sur
vivors IN the aftermath Of an
attack. 4...---.f
Turning to other matters,
the council asked the legislature
for 5000 to help pay for the
'county's new Jail In Rockville
The State normally finances
one fourth the cost Of new
-jails. Mr.. Carter said.
The group also instructed the
county Information officer to
consider the publication Of q
booklet for prospective home
owners. Council member Stella
Werner said the manual should
explain all legal steps involved
in such a purchase. ~.
Evening star., 1961-02-08
judge HoIts Rees Trial
To Study Key Ruling
Attorneys Move to Quush Seizure
Of Evidence From Parents Home
BY JERRY OLEARY, Jr.
Star stan Writer

BALTIMORE, Feb s-Federal Judge Roszel C. Thomson
today halted jackson family trial of Melvin
H. Rees jr to hear arguments in his chambers challenging
evidence which the entire prosecution may hinge
evidence believed to consist Of materials seized by
the FBI in the parents in the 5000 block Of
Evening star., 1961-02-08
THE BOOKLET S TARTS

THE BOOKLET S STARTS
with a chapter entitled First
Step: "All whose mother
tongue is English believe
that, if it, is not unfairly
handicapped, it win become
the dominant and interna-
tional language of the world"
This was from Circular No.
! of the Simplified Spelling
Board. The board was oper-
ating on a grant from the
Carnegie Fund. No founda-
ton grant in these postwar
years has raised a tenth. as
much turmoil.
The newspapers fell to in
dulging in an unfortunate
form Of humor best described
as oversimplified spelling.
But there were more i'm
portant repercussionS.
The Times Of London
thundered something TO the
effect that no absolute mon
arch, no dictator, no tyrant
in history, had sought to en-
ercise such power as the
President Of the United
States who with a stroke Of
the pen directed that the
spelling of the language of
his people be changed.
1t also led to the shortest
editorial in the history OF
American Journalism. This
had to do with the word.
that the chairman of. the
Simplified Spelling Book.
Brander Matthews, q profes-
sor Of English at Columbia
University. had warned the
President would be the hard
est to accept,
Evening star., 1961-02-08
Jonuory Fuel Bills Due
To Hit Record Heights

Washington residents brace themselves for
the steepest January fuel bills record
Fuel company representatives warned today that the
three owstorms last month will dig into
pocketbooks and that heating bills will between Is and
per cent higher than In January, 1860.
Consumers already felt the December pinch, when
Evening star., 1961-02-08
The
Rambler
Checks
On orthogruphy
ny GEORGE KENNEDY

ny GEORGE KENNEDY
The mornin g's m all
brought q wonderful gift, a
rare and historic booklet.
1t was entitled "Simplified
Spelling (First Edition) for
the Use Of Government De-
partments."
The date, 1905, showed that
1t was the most controversial
of the Executive Orders of
President Theodore RooSe-
welt.
Three hundred words -
three hundred little words
would not be correct, some
were multisyllabic - caused
an uproar.
The booklet Is a reminder
that Theodore Roosevelt, un-
like Franklin D. Roosevelt,
was an intellectual.
1t starts with a letter from
the President at Oyster Bay,
N. Y, to the Public Printer,
Charles A. Stillings. please
hereafter direct" the Presi-
dent wrote, "that In all Gov
ernment publications Of the
Executive Departments the
800 words enumerated shall
be spelled as therein set
forth. :.
They (the changes) rep
resent. in the world but a very
Slight extension Of the un-
conscious movement which
has made agricultural imple-
ment makers and farmers
write. 'plow' instead of
plough; which has made
most Americans write honor
without the somewhat absurd
superfluous ~; and which is
even now making people
write program without the
me"
Evening star., 1961-02-08

Milton King chairman of the Citizens Ad- :
visOry Council, and Mrs. Harold N. Marsh, a
council member, inspect the spot on the first
floor where fire broke out week ago in the
Mount Vernon Nursing Home, killing seven
aged patientS.-Star Staff Photo.