ca che eee ee a — , : / meet i a / NE a, \ . { “=~ THE PONTIAC PRESS > ate Details Page 2) | ! y | \ Edition 111th YEAR ASSOCIATED PRESS UNITED PRESS Death Toll May Reach 362 in 4 Train Wre * * * * PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1953 —22 PAGES INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE sameunmaneetes Locomo Yaa Be) Pe | Ee, JUMPS TRACKS—After a car pinned to its “coweatcher” accidentally tripped a switch, this locomotive and’ ‘mail car ran off the rails at the Locomotive, as Train Hits Empty Auto tive Tips After Hitting Franklin road. N C ar aaa cay Wee oa Red-Led Rebels ~ Slice Indochina == Into 2 Sections a. . Pentianc Press Phote Grand Trunk Western Railway crossing near © one was injured in the accident early this morning. { Car Derai v Commie Nations Claim End of PW Talks Is Unfair PANMUNJOM (@—The two Com- munist members of the Korean repatriation commission have ac- The locomotive and one car of a westbound Grand | cused the other three members of Trunk Western passenger-mail train were derailed here | early today after smashing into an empty automobile at Franklin road crossing. No one was injured when the train rammed the auto shortly after midnight and pushed it about 1,000 feet. Three youths had abandoned the auto only minutes before the train, composed of passenger coaches and mail cars, rolled into Pontiac. The train’s engine, ten- der and one mail car jumped the rafls when the auto, catight on the cow- catcher, tripped a switch and caused them to run off the track, according to Pon- tiac police. Donald R, Ogg, 18, of 877 Stanley Ave., said he was returning home a show at 12:22 a.m. with it unti] the switch was hit, The engineer was Maur- (Continued on Page 2, Col. 4) Fs EF Li 5 ? | ; srite sh? zt °- Ike. Cuts Army Force in Korea Two Divisions Will Be Pulled Out; President Also Cautions U. S. AUGUSTA, Ga. (UP) — Presi today a contribution to the “climate of peace.” The chief executive issued a formal statement shortly before noon, disclosing that two army di- visions: will soon. be pulled out of a “very seriou violation” of ‘‘in- ternational agreements’’ in ending efforts to win prisoners. home; the official Peiping radio said today. the Chinese Red radio. : Skies to Be Cloudy, Temperature Mild Cloudy with little change in tem- perature is forecast for Sunday, ac- cording to the U. S. Weather Bu- from 33 to 38 on Sunday. Christmas Day was cloudy and mild with temperatures ranging from a low of 28 to a high of 3% degrees in the city. A trace of snow was recorded in the area yesterday. Pope Begins Audiences to Greet Diplomats VATICAN CITY — Pope Pius With Proper Safeguards Evidence in May Admit Wire-Tapping Spy Trials : if EF i = agez= jt Take Town of Thakhek; Defense of Air Base SAIGON, Indochina (AP) —The vanguard of Com- munist-led Vietminh forces moved today into the aban- doned town of Thakhek, on the Mekong River border with Thailand, completing a rebel drive to cut Indo- china in two. ° First reports from the area said the Vietminh units that drove boldly across the country from the coastal areas of Annam sent light elements into Thak- ated a hek; previously evacuated viet ~ by the French. The withdrawal of the)" French had been an-|, nounced earlier today in aj, communique from the high command. It said the evacuation was ordered to 9 as many troops as possible together in order to meet the Viet- minh attack. Vietminh occupation of the town, 240 miles south of Hanoi, would give the rebels a base from which to strike either north or south along the Mekong River. attitude toward the Vietminh pro- is that they have not been | * : é fi Fs S z PA S z z A dispatch trom the Thailand Ike and Grandc FAMILIAR CHRISTMAS SCENE—President Eisenhower and his granddaughter Barbara Ann, 4, look toward the Christmas tree last night. in Augusta, Ga. Young David, 5, seems to want to 4 oe ee = 2] _* * hildren Enjo y Holiday > ae" ~ a AP Wirephete know whether he has any more presents as he holds on to one of a set of golf clubs he received. The President and his family are spending the holiday period in Augusta. New Zealand, Czechoslovakia Crashes Worst Peru and Pakistan Also Report Rail Accidents Over Christmas By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Four countries around the world counted a death toll of possibly 362 persons today as a result of Christ- mastide train wrecks. for Big 4 i E F & Z & 2 i i seit if 3 i Fi & é 5 eS z 2 i g aH i i i Russia Rejects Meeting Date Suggests Late Janvary Conference in New Note by the West on Dec. 8. 7 : epee Uke; 3 Festi a27Fe 7 ice-skating rinks and skating is j I Nation’s Toll 237 end. . /peared heated for Thugs Attack Legless Vet Force His Special Car Off Road and Rob Him Near Long Beach LONG BEACH, Calif. @®—A spe- cial squad of detectives has been assigned to investigate the brutal "| beating Christmas day of a legless Korean War veteran by a pack of young hoodiums. Charlies J. Baker, 23, who not only left his legs in Korea but also Freee ay tel F i : PERE thar Fs | i] i; i j ie eli eT Hey ? é , { 2 j ‘ . a i } A ye gy! 4 he - 7 ; ; \ yf ‘ : * ' » } eat , rt gt Ps ee " 2B A‘ section. the holida State Traffic Claims 12 in First Half of Holiday _ By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS At least 17: persons lost their lives in violent accidents during the first half of Michigan’s long Christmas week- In the nation as a whole, the traffic death toll ap- 4 for a new Christmas holiday record. With less than half the long weekend holiday Over, 237 persons have been killed in traffic accidents. Altogether, violent accidents have taken the lives of 285 persons since ~ + 6 p.m. Thursday. Traffic accidents. claimed the lives of 12 victims in the state in the first 36 hours of weekend and a 25-year old mother and four of her children died in a home fire near Flat Rock. The mother, Mary Hurst and her four children, Patrick 6, Hazel, 5, Michael 2 and &months-old Dan- jiel, died when a fire -destroyed Other traffic fatalities included: (Continued on Page 2, Col. 3) “it ! rl { i E i | i ! : | ltt g a pie it Father Watches Helpless if 4 FLEE; iH Mr. and Mrs. Francis Hurst, Co., Christmas Morning Blaze Kills Mother, 4 Children FLAT ROCK (AP)—Fire beat Santa Claus to this Ross Hurst, 29, stood helpless in the snow watching as his wife, Mary, 25, and the children, Patrick, 6; Hazel, 5; Michael, 2, and 8-month-old Daniel, died in the flames, Hurst was led from the scene to a hospital where he was treated for shock. . The Hurst family shared the brick farm home with a Great machinist, Eyster and their three children, Lakes* Postmaster Delivered by Early Dec. 24 Despite Greater Volume From Our Birmingham Bereas BIRMINGHAM — P ost master Rernard Fowler said today that all mail was delivered early Dec. “although we handled a 30 per cent incfease in mail this year.” Fowler attributed this speedy service to (1) permission to let regular personne! put in sufficient | additional space | overtime work, (2 to handle parcel post and (3) gen- eral availability of extra help. “Morale of the employes was higher (ais year, tee, because of the overtime,” Fowler said. “Evervene did a fine job.” Last vear the staff worked three days past the holiday distributing Christmas cards and gifts a > . “The Pageant of tn Holy Na- tivity” wih be presested by the youth groups of First Methodist Church at § pm. tomorrow. They will be assisted bw the primary, junior and antiphonal choirs. Sunday's 11 a.m. worship serv- ice will benor college students along with those in special training work and service young people., . . 7 oe Officiais of the A & P Co. store at Merrill and Woodward will be asked for action to eliminate con- ‘Festion on Merrill street due to