i
|
i
&
® Boys May Await Sentence In Jail
For As Long As Month And A Half
3 75 YEARS A NEWSPAPER
Oldest Business Institution
Back of the Mountain
I'EN CENTS PER COPY—TWELVE PAGES
PLUS TEN-PAGE TABLOID
VOL. ‘75, NO. 22. THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1964
Set Blazes In Area
To See Firemen Run | sation,”
Bak Carr Selings, 19, and Ron-
ald Seymour, 19, can spend any-
where from three weeks to a month
and a half in Luzerne County Prison
awaiting completion of ‘‘pre-sen-
tence investigation” by probation
authorities, Assistant District At-
torney Arthur L. Piccone said this
week.
Meanwhile, others implicated in
a string of burglaries and arson in
the Back Mountain and Kingston
saw their fates resolved also. . The
DA will let Ronald Cross, 20, serve
out his term in Korea with the
army; and Ronald Gardiner, 19, also
subject of presentence investigation,
was released in custody of his
mother:
Gary Her and CaM’ were the ily
members of the group who ventured J
“not’ guilty” pleas at the marathon
7-hour trial before Judge Bernard
Brominski on Thursday. ‘Gardiner
confused things
trial by first pleading “not guilty”
to a burglary charge, and reversing
himself on the stand, according to
the DA.
Carr, whose list of indictments
dominated the proceedings at 22,
including, burglary, larceny, and ar-
son, held back on two larceny
charges and one arson.
Others implicated in some of the
crimes were Stanley J. Theis, 19,
Forty Fort, and Barry DeRolf, 18,
105 S. Pioneer Avenue.
Carr’s residence is 241 Church °
Street, Gardiner's — ‘Kunkle, and
Seymour has been a roomer at 140
Franklin.
"Interesting Points
Some interesting ~ points which
arose during course of trial and in-
vestigation = were: After robbing
Sears Store, April 10, Carr and
Theis threw away all the
along the highway above Scranton.
once during the .
t
: hy i in various capacities for
© in Ashley.
booty :
kemes moved out completely, but
It included, of all things, a dozen
coveralls which didn't fit, some oil
pressure gauges, and the rear radio
speaker for a car.
At the Sears Store, the boys ran |
into the most trouble of their career |
until their eventual meeting with |
state trooper Eugene Brennan. Ed-
wardsville patrolman Charles Nay-
liss surprised them, and they jump-
ed into Theis's red Valiant and
drove off, while Nayliss shot at
them.
Another point, Mr. Piccone re-
vealed upon question by
Post, no monetary or grudge mo-
tive was ever revealed for a string
of arson dating back to 1962. The
boys just watched the buildings
burn down, as firemen from various
Back Mountain companies labored
to save them. As one fire chief put
it: “Those were the days they kept
us hopping.”
A total of 32 charges were brought
against the youths, whose appre-
hension began earlier this year with
the arrest of Carr by Brennan, a
first-class investigator from Wyo-
ming Barracks, who was aided by
police chiefs Russell Honeywell,
Herbert Updyke, Frank Lange, Ed-
ward Kravitsky, and state officers
Robert Strempek and Michael Ryan.
Carr was arrested following an
attempted burglary of Caddie La-
Bar’s early March, in which three
boys narrowly escaped being caught
by garage-owner Harry Wesley and
helper, following Wesley's continu-
ous vigil for culprits who had been
breaking into his near-by business.
' This broke the case.
Carr was interrogated at police
Dallas Fire Drill
Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Company,
Dallas, will hold a fire drill to-
night, * Thursday, at 6:30,
| Mcuntain Memorial Library Auction
the Dallas |
| chdse was made with future expan-
| sion in mind, but that no immediate
| action is contemplated.
| Jiams has not been notified of any
and “in ‘the TvhetL.
as Brennan put it at court,
| one thing led to another, and the
others were also brought in.
headquarters,
Appearing as witnesses, ols
regarding their own establishments
which had been robbed were (in
addition to police chiefs): Kenneth
Rice, Mrs. Lillian Kuehn, Harry
Wesley, Caddie LaBar, and Mrs.
Dale Parry, as well as witnesses re-
garding Wyoming Valley Pog
Light Company Buys
Ben Franklin Bldg.
Harveys Lake Light Company
this week revealed to the Post the
purchase of ‘the ‘adjoining Ben
Franklin Store on Church Street
in Dallas, through announcement by
Li;
“fhe property formerly was owned
by the Back Mountain Lumber and
Coal Company and is leased to Mrs.
Frances Williams, who Gpernics the
Ben Franklin® Store.
Mr. Kingsley ‘said that’ the pur-
Mrs. Wil-
change.
New Owner Qccupies
Dallas Gas Station
New owner of the Atlantic sta-
tion in the middle of Dallas is: Al-
bert Williams, White: Birch Trailer ;
. Camp, who took occupancy the first
of his week.
Williams has been emblabed
a number of years,” as a mechanic
and with their engineering division. |
Prior to moving to Dallas, he lived |
Former proprietor Raymond Mal-
was left with considerable stock,
which he is selling.
Library Auction
Heads Named
Chairmen Gather For
Briefing In Annex
Key members of Eighteenth Back
met at the Library Annex Thursday
night to lay final plans for the
annual event scheduled July 9, 10
and 11 in the Barnyard.
General Chairman Frank Hutt-
man announced committee heads:
General Chairman, Frank Hutt- |
man; co-chairman, Merrill Faegen- |
burg.
Auction Committee
New Goods, Harry Lefko.
Antiques, Mrs. George Montgom-
ery-
Finance, Homer Moyer
Auto chances for the Ford Falcon,
Chairman:
Ernest Gay .
General Solicitation, Mrs. Bruce
Moen.
Advisory Committee, -Durelle .T.
Scott.
Transportation, Commonwealth
Telephone Company, Ed Kravitz.
Auctioneers and spotters, Robert |
Bachman
Barbecue Dinner, Dr. Lester Jor-
dan.
Book Booth, Mrs. Paul Gross and
Mrs. Warren Unger.
Candy (Dallas Jr. Woman's Club)
Mrs. Edward C. Johnson.
Refreshments (Dallas Senior Wo-
man’s Club) and ticket booth, Mrs.’
Harry Ohlman and Mrs. Sheldon
Evans. ;
Chefs, Francis Fry.
F. Kingsley, ‘yice president. gf
(Continued on Page 3A)
Search For Stevio
Continued By Police
State police are resuming their
search today for Louis Stevie in
the Beth Run Mountain area of
Lake Township, in what Lt. Ed-
ward McGroarty of Wyoming Bar-
racks termed ‘one very thorough
search’. f
'Stevio, believed armed with a
.30-40 Krag military rifle when he
left his home on Route 29 nearly
two weeks ago, has not been seen
or heard from since. There if a
warrant out for his arrest on charges
of disorderly’ conduct, chiefly, po-
lice say, for his own protection.
Forest-fire fighters heard two
shots in the vicinity of three fires
which broke out in the Beth Run
wilderness a week ago Tuesday, ac-
cording to Lt. McGroarty, and a
plane pilot saw a man running from
the fires toward a cabin.
Also, the police think it more than
coincidence that no fires have bro-
ken out since that time .
‘An ex-marine, Stevio, 57, was not
“considered in the best of physical’
health when he left: home. Before
going, he also barricaded himself
in the house and threw potted
plants through the front windows.
Police may enlist help from the
marine reserves for the search, ac-
cording to Lt. McGroarty. i
Military Honors
For Crash Victim
Framtz Fatally Hurt
While Crossing Road
Richard Elwood Frantz, the 21
year old Kunkle man who was fat-
ally injured while crossing highway
309: near the Lake Catalpa Road
intersection at 3:10 am, on Me-
morial Day, was buried with mili-
| tary honors Wednesday afternoon.
An Honor Guard. from the 195th
Ordnance Company, Army Reserves,
was present at the Disque Funeral
Home and later at the burial plot
in. Marsh Cemetery. Rev. William
Watson and Rev. Frederick M.
Eister, pastors of Center Moreland
and Kunkle Methodist Churches,
officiated. :
Pall bearers were close friends:
Michael Soltishick, Ronald Hess,
Gerald Rubia, Marvin Stuart, Pet-
er Fritsky, Thomas Metz and Rich-
ard Brace .
Richard was
driven by Hiram Traver,
Noxen, when he stepped back into
its path instead of continuing a-
cross the road. Investigation showed
that Traver
the right to avoid hitting the vic-
tim.
Frantz was passenger in a car
driven by an East Dallas man,
William Schmidle, 23. A tire went
flat, and Schmidle pulled off the
road. Schmidle and Frantz hailed
a third man, Richard Cundiff, Dallas
RD 1, who stopped to help.
When Schmidle and Frantz were
struck by a car
22, of
‘and flap their elbows.
had swung widely to
{
|
|
half way across the highway, 4 car
travelling north toward Beaumont
started to skirt the scene of the
stopped car, and struck Frantz.
Schmidle made the ' crossing in
safety.
Richard Frantz was rushed to
Nesbitt Hospital. in Dallas Commun- |
ity Ambulance. Examination showed
a fractured skull, compound frac-
tures of the left leg, simple fracture
of the right leg, and internal in-
juries.
He died. less .than twenty-four
hours later, without regaining con-
sciousness - —
Richard, a life-long resident of
(Continued on Page 5 A)
Douse Brushfire
Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Com-
pany, Dallas, extinguished a brush-
fire in the woods by Memorial
Highway adjacent to the pipeline
‘across from Elmorest Tuesday af-
ternoon,
A Case Of Divergent Viewpoints
Amidst Beer And Rock And Roll
A long hard day of beer and
rock ’'n roll resolved: into ga 'tiff be-
tween a Pittston man and Lehman
Township police, the end of which
was, not heard by the middle of
this week. :
Chief of police Joseph Ide and
Fred Pisano, Jr. 20, 11 Wilson
treet, Pittston, arranged a hear-
ing for last night, to decide their
differences.
Pisano was one of an enormous
crowd which packed O'Connell's
Twin Lakes dance floor over the
Memorial Day weekend to hear the
“Kasuals,” a Valley group which
caters to 2l-and-over stag rocking
and rolling in all its most anarchic
forms. The dance floor is .covered
with men in Bermuda shorts and
sweat shirts, and girls accentuated
in purple and burnt ochre creations,
obviously designed for dancing.
Bodies hurtle through the air, lurch
from side to side, wave their arms
A stag line
stands sometimes three deep, ring-
ing the floor.
No. small amount of beer is con-
sumed, and tempers run high. Two
police check age cards scrupulously
at the door. On Memorial Day
they were there from 4 p.m. until
closing. :
Pisano was fighting with a boy
he said was from Edwardsville at
around 11 p.m., just outside the
dance hall door. Patrolmen Roland
Ide .and Lionel Bulford were inside.
As they told Chief Ide, one of them
tried to separate the boys as they
were fighting, and Pisano allegedly
reached for ‘the officer's revolver.
The other officer — Chief Ide con-
tinued to decline to say whether
it was Ide or Bulford until “com-
pleting investigation,” rapped Pi-
sano -on -the head with 5 short
nightstick.
The other boy was also Strack
by police, and disappeared into the
crowd. Chief Ide received a strange
phone call from the latter's mother
late in the night, her succinct mes-
sage being that he was all right,
although she did not volunteer her
name.
Some of the crowd gathered
around was menacing, according to
the chief, who had Pisano taken
to Nesbitt Hospital in Lehman am-
bulance. Ide said he thought Pi-
sano was to be admitted after hav-
ing five stitches in his head, so
figuring the boy still under arrest
for “disorderly conduct’ and safely
away in the hospital, he left. Pisano
also left.
Pisano engaged an attorney,
claiming police hit him on the head
four or five times, cutting his head
and knocking his teeth loose. Chief
Ide told the Dallas Post that if
there were four or five blows, there
would be four or five cuts, and
ing the boys’ scuffle. He said the
doctor at Nesbitt did not think
the teeth were loose.
So, with a police warrant for
Pisano’s arrest, it remained for the
matter to be resolved by Justice
of the Peace, or perhaps in court.
One point that may be brought up
is that Pisano, being under 21, was
not supposed to be in the dance
hall.
No ‘matter what the outcome,
Ide said the dances will either carry
a larger police guard henceforth,
or none at all.
Kiwanis Club-Counts Up Hennebaul Fund
Ra mamsstitonnn
Kiwanis members list final tabu-
lations on the recently concluded
fund drive for benefit of Fred Hen- |
nebaul. Receipts were still coming
in, enough to practically insure a
total of over $1500 from Slave
Labor Days and donations.
Shown here are: at the top, John
Marsh, George McCutcheon, Paul
Laux, and Bill Wright. Bottom
row: Harry Lefko, Samuel Daven-
port, William Guyette, Alfred Ac-
kerson, and Harry Peiffer.
Efforts of a united community re-
sulted in raising of enough money
to send Freddie Hennebaul, injured
months ago in a wrestling accident
at Lake-Lehman, back to Magee
Hospital in Philadelphia, for instruc-
tion in the use of an artificial
muscle.
George McCutcheon says: “Watch-
ing Key Club members, wrestlers,
Lettermen, and other students,
working in every way! possible to
earn money for Freddie's rehabili-
tation, has been definitely reward-
ing.. The community can be proud
to know that Youth still reacts as
Youth always has, when an emer-
gency unites them.
“Many people have wondered
why State agencies have not been
utilized more fully in Freddie's case.
| Legal entanglements and laws have
| tied their hands until Valley Crest |
| began giving physical therapy treat- |
| ments to Freddie.
| “It was evaluation of Freddie's |
| condition by Valley Crest specialists
that was instrumental in inaugurat-
| ing the program that is presently |
| being followed to assist him. The
| Fund Drive was the result of this
| information from specialists.
“The Kiwanis Club realizes that
it would be impossible to thank |
each individual for the success of |
the Drive, but it thanks a wonder-
ful community for its deep interest
and its wonderful cooperation.”
Beer Truck Flips Tn
West Dallas Wreck
Lake Highway, collided with a car
Saturday night, and flipped over
on its side.
Driver
M. Grish, 26, Plymouth, who col-
lided with the left side of the car
‘mouth. Grish skinned hig elbow.
' machine. and. truck . was towed.
A truck full of empty beer cases, |
owned by O‘Connell’s and south- |
bound from Twin Lakes on the | the farm teams.
Bird Problem Could
Be Just “For Birds”
Preferring to keep names out of
it until he completes his investiga-
tion ,Dallas Township Police Chief
Pete Lange reports this bird story:
He received a call yesterday
from a woman in East Dallas who
is angry that her neighbor is feed-
ing birds early in the morning.
“Feed the birds in the winter when
they're hungry”, she told ‘the bird-
lover, complaining to Pete that the
chirping wakes her up in the morn-
ing.
‘We forgot to ask the chief whe-
ther he intended to = arrest the
birds, but he didn’t look as if it
was first on his list that morning.
Commencement Speaker
that the teeth, if in fact they were
loosened, obviously became so dur- |
Lowell R. Ditzen
Dr. Robert A. Mellman, superin-
tendent of Dallas Schools, announc-
es that the commencement speaker
for June 9 will be Dr. Lowell Rus-
sell Ditzen, author, scholar, world
traveller and clergyman.
His topic will be ‘Facing Tomor-
row.”
Native of Kansas, he holds de-
grees from Park and William Jewell
Colleges "in" Missouri; Central Park
College in Jowa; .Hope College in
Michigan. Graduate work was done
at University of Chicago and Union
Theological Seminary, New York.
College winner in sixteen orator-
ical contests, he took first place
in the old line National Contest,
competing against contestants from
thirty states.
He won ten National awards from
Freedom Foundation of Valley
Forge for outstanding addresses on
Americanism.
Author of eight books, most of
| | them book-of-the-month selections,
he has also written many articles
for magazines.
Under auspices of the State De-
i Field. Back
|
|
|
partment he has lectured in India
to educational and civic groups.
He is a well-known speaker over
radio and T-V.
Minister to leading’ churches in
|
{ New York City, Utica and Bronx- |
| ville, he was exchange preacher |
under Federal Council of Churches
to England, Scotland, and France,
Back Mountain Little League
"To Open Season On Saturday
Back Mt, Baseball for Boys will
open its season Saturday, June 6th
for boys 8 through 15. This season,
over three hyndréd and fifty boys
{ will be in uniform.
In addition, about one hundred |
youngsters make up |
and twenty
In all, the pro-
| gram covers over five hundred boys.
at the intersection of Route 118 | The program runs -from Saturday,
| June 6th until August 15th. Major
at
p-m. Minor league games are played
| every Saturday starting at 9 a.m.
driven by Alex Rebar, also -of Ply- | until 5. Farm League plays every
Wednesday, starting at 10 a.m. till
Damage was to left side of each [4 p.m. All games are played at the
little league field in Dallas Towp-
6:30 |
|
at 2 'p.m. at the Dallas Township |
Mountain Baseball for |
| Boys organization provides baseball |
| Murphy of WILK radio fame. Mr.
| league games are played every night |
of the truck was John Monday thru Saturday,
“Roses are Red’.
Lake-Lehman
Graduation
Tuesday, 8:15
Herbert Harrison
To Give Address
To Senior Class
Lake-Lehman High School: com-
mencement exercises will take place
Tuesday at 8:15 in the high school
gymnasium.
Mr. Herbert Harrison will be the
guest speaker, taking as his topic
“Live All Your Life.” Mr. Harrison,
with an enviable reputation as an
after-dinner speaker, has an un-
usual ability to combine the serious
and the humorous. Born in Brook-
lyn, he attended the public schools
of New York and Syracuse Univer-
sity. He has been President of the
Rotary Club of Olean, N. Y., and
was selected ag Qlean’s.
Year.”
Lake-Lehman High School Band
will play “The King and I”, “Waltz-
ing Winds”, and ‘Offenbach’ un-
der direction - of John Miliauskas,
also the processional, “War March
of the Priests.”
Invocation will be given by Rev.
Francis Barlik. Patricia Kanasky and
Jay Ruckel will both give Honor
Orations. Lester B. Squier, Super-
vising Principal, will introduce the
guest speaker and present the
graduating class.
Anthony -Marchakitus, High
School Principal, will present the
awards. President of the Board of
Education ,Willard Sutton, will dis-
tribute diplomas. The “benediction
given by Rev. Winfield L. Kelley,
will mark the close of the cere-
mony. fh
Members of the Senior Class will
leave the gymnasium as the Re-
cessional, “March Processionale,” is
played by the Lake-Lehman. Band.
Anyone wishing to congratulate the
graduates may meet them in cor-
ridor " “E’’. \
These students served as senior
class officers: Jack Sorber, Presi-
dent; Larry Lettie, Vice President;
Bonny Gennetts, Secretary; Sharyn
Montross, Treasurer; and Mary
Pauletti, Historian.
Kenneth Ellsworth, Patricia Kan-
asky, Wanda Minor, and Richard
Sarmonis were members of the
Student Council.
Susan Lamoreaux, Linda Piatt,
Beverly Bonning, Beverly Swire, |
Marcia Quick, Mary Marchakitus,
Jackie Hoyt, and Theresa Stash, all
members of the Junior. Class, will
act as usherettes. Sheldon Lord
and Ronald Koslosky, also members |
of the Junior Class will act as |
ushers.
Class colors are Red and White.
Motto - “Our goal of today is our
success of tomorrow’, Flower - Rose,
and the song is to the tune of
ship. Teenage games are played
each night except Wednesday at
the Dallas Jr. High football field
at 6:30 p.m. :
Kicking -off the ceremonies at
the field will be the Dallas Jr. High
School Band under. the direction
of Alfred M. Camp with about one
hundred students making its per-
sonnel. The. band will ‘play four
selections with the company of ma-
jorettes performing.
Master of ceremonies will be Vince
Murphy, now a resident of Dallas,
is very much interested in youth
programs .
Edward Brominski will be the
main speaker of the day. Mr. Bro-
minski is head football and base-
ball coach at the Dallas High School.
tain was celebrated with cool, bright
skies, and many organizations and
ent.
Parade got off promptly at 9:30
Saturday from the American Legion
Home on Memorial Highway.
- [Shown here are some random
shots from the ceremonies: the little
poppy girl, Nora Barlow, with her
mother and Mrs. Hazel Carkhuff,
of the Legion Auxiliary.
Fire companies shown: Lehman
truck and ambulance, Idetown,
Trucksville, and Kunkle's command
car and truck. Members of Dr. Hen~
ry M. Laing Fire Company smile
broadly (also Russ Coolbaugh).
A local girl scout troop, backed
up by several small flamboyant or-
ators, who said: “Take my picture”.
So we did. Another orator, Myron
Baker, who delivered the principle
address at Warden- Cemetery.
at Dallas Honor Roll by a boy scout
and girl scout. Next; a group of
spectators in central Dallas, and,
again, a photographer, Bill Lahn,
and two young fellas who fairly
“jumped up and down with delight
at the red lights on fire engines.
Grand Marshal Paul Shaver over-
sees the operation of parade-making
at the Legion home, and Jess Cos-
lett oversees Paul. Honor guard un-
der Harold Brobst fires a salute at
the cemetery, where ceremony end-
ed.
Myron Baker, speaking over the
graves of many at Warden, and
for the many elsewhere, paid tribute
to the past and the future. Struggle
of freedom-loving people, he ob-
our people since the days of the
Wyoming Massacre.
Speaking of those who died in
service of their country and those
who died after, he said: “But just
as surely as this day rolls around
each year and we stop to decorate
the graves, I'm sure the dead come
back to live with us again. And
every year at springtime, at the
height of the flowering season with
love and life and growth abounding
everywhere, we pause and listen
to the lonely notes of death and
memory.”
“As each generation drinks from
wells they did not dig,
generation moves along the way,
it is up to us.to see that we pick
up those historic, old-fashioned,
tattered regimental colors of free-
dom and liberty, as valuable to us
as to Americans 189 years ago -- face
comes and carry on.”
Jackson People -
Take Road To DA
Map-of themesisrkeville Refud®
Care Of Borderline 5
Jackson Township residents of
Steele’s Road, an impossible mile-
long stretch of dirt and holes at
top of Larksville Mountain, mean
business, and are going to have
constable Gensel ‘return” or con-
demn, the thing, and will put the
matter of maintenance in the hands
lution.
Problem is now a year.old, and
involves refusal of Larksville Bor-
ough to maintain their half of
the road, and further refusal to meet
with Jackson Township to work out
a solution.
At the supervisor's meeting Tues-
day, a group of Steele's Road peo-
ple were again present with com-
plaints. :
The road was supposed te have
been jointly maintained by the two
municipalities until last year, ac-
Larksville ‘and Jackson. When the
agreement expired, Larksville, lots
was made, and lots more irrespon-
sible as well, said Jackson Town-
ship, could have their half for
the asking.
Jackson replied. that .it wanted
not just the road, but the state
appropriation Larksville was get-
ting for supposedly maintaining it.
Otherwise, said township solicitor,
half.
Larksville apparently did no‘ py
excited about the idea of handing
over the state money, and refused
to honor Jackson's invitation to talk
{ about it, so, if Steele's Road peo-
ple have their way, Larksville will
hear from the DA.
Dallas | Three-Car Crash
Three cars crashed on Memorial
Highway at Dallas stoplight at 4:45
yesterday afternoon, when the
front two allegedly stopped because
traffic in front of them had
slowed ‘to a halt.
light: Third car, driven by Mrs.
Gloria Elston, Dallas RD 2, hit the
second in line, driven by
Matthews, Oak Hill, which then hit
the first, driven by Thomas Grys-
kiewicz, Hillisde Avenue, Harveys
Lake.
An unknown car was said “to
have caused the accident by stop-
ping for a hitchhiker. The Mat-
thews car was towed, and Honey-
well and Foss, police, investigated.
will be Rev. Eidam of St. Paul's
Lutheran Church, and Rev. Rafferty
of Gate of Heaven Church. Flag
raising ceremonies will be under the
direction of Daddow Isaacs Legion
Post. After the opening ceremon-
ies teams will play 4 - 2 inning
Also participating in the program
spectators turned out for the ev-
as each
up to responsibility when the time
of the District Attorney for reso-
cording to original agreement by
poorer than in 1939 when the deal
the court can be petitioned to make
| Larksville continue repairing their °
All were going north on a green
Mark
games. Ma 3
Memorial Day in the Back Moun-
‘Wreath was placed, traditionally
served, has been the keynote of