Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              'Serhan Murder Case' May Not Have Been a Murder
A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
Windy, Cool
Highest Today 40 Monday—Cloudy, Colder
52ND YEAR — NO. 5
Member Audit Baresn of Clrcolftlloa
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1957
CNITED PRESS
Wlra New* Scrrlea
PRICE 20 CENTS
Special Investigator Finds Little to Back Theory that Woman Was Slain by Hatchet
4 From County
Strong Evidence Points to Chance Death Might Have Been Accidental; Confusion Marked Probe by Police
(Editor's note: When the bloody death in Wilkes-Barre • last April of Mrs. Rita Serhan promised to turn into just another on the ever-lengthening list of unsolved murder cases In Luzerne County, the Sunday Independent engaged Charters Associates of Philadelphia, to make a special investigation.
Made up mostly of former FBI men and used successfully In some of the biggest cases In the East, Charter Associates was considered the best and most able to be hzA. • The series starting today in the Sunday Independent elves the results of that investigation and may be of special service In ending the reputation of Luzerne County as a place where you can get away with murder.        .    . , ..
As a matter of fact, it was to protect the future rather than protest the past that was the main intent of the investi¬ gation which the Sunday Independent caused to be made in the case of Mrs. Rita Serhan.)
Wants U. S. fo Invest In Small Business
WASHINGTON (IPI—William T. McCormick, president of the American Stock Exchange, has proposed the federal gov¬ ernment invest $250,000,000 in the stock of small businesses.
Congress, he said, should set up a $500,000,000, closed- end investment trust, with the government and private in¬ vestors each supplying half the cash.
The trust would buy stock in promising small firms, thereby providing them with risk capital tlney need to ex¬ pand. The investors—includ¬ ing the U. S. govemment— would get a proportionate share of the dividends.
All 8 Are Found Guilty In Turnpike Silt Fraud
Glen Alden's New $1,000,000 Audenreid Breaker
There is just a chance —only a chance, thoujfh a fairly promising one — that the "Rita Serhan Murder Case" WASNT MURDER AT
The truth still remains to be developed al¬ though the "murder" — which may have been either an accident or even death induced by natural causes — happened more than seven
However, unless there is a revival of official'Amg K|||gn
interest in the case it appears that truth neveri" "^
will be known because there is every indica-|   HAVANA (IP)
Cuban Army Leader and
Rebels tion that"an"reare7forts "of investigation by all gf ^'^^^f''army ^com^-
mander and his aide in Hol- guin, second largest city of re-
who might be concerned have ceased.
At approximately 10:30 on the morning of Sunda.v, April 7, 1957, tiie body of Mr.s. Serhan. aged 65, was discovered in her combination living and business quar¬ ters at 262 Stanton St., Willi^-Barre, by her son, Edmund Serhan.
It was' quickly believed that a hatchet, which she reportedly used'as a door stop, but which was never found, was the weapon used and there was a contusion on the victim's head which looked as if a hatchet might have been used. Marked With Confu.sion
With the motiye given as "probably robbery" it was believed entry Tiad been gained through a cellar window 11 inches by 17.
However, the case was marked by confusion from the beginning and Trooper Pizza of the State Police said the "... place was crawling with people when we got there. In fact, it looked as though somebody had attempted to mop up."
That mopping up might well have destroyed for all time the most valuable clues to the solution of the case.
Detective Frank Kreig of the Wilkes-Barre police force confirmed the observation of Trooper Pizza.
He recalled there were enough people crowded into -^   ,,        ^^       # the little Serhan home "to hare a ball." | QuIleS COntefS
Mrs. Serhan's estranged husband, Moses, — whoi^^      .. m^^^  ¦¦   »^ since has put up $500 as the only reward offered by Ofl NATO l/flftV anyont> for solution of the case—was quickly questioned and released.
Pictures taken of the scene of the crirte by the State Police were made available to the investigator of Charters Associates by Detective Captain Joseph Mur¬ ray of the Wilkes-Barre police force, whose men were the only ones to make any serious investigation of the case, despite their limitations
Here is the Charters report on a study of the pic¬ tures :
bellious Orient* Province. The Army was reported "taking re¬ prisals'."
An army communiqua an¬ nounced "other deaths in civil¬ ian and military ranks." but did not elaborate. At least one of the attackers was believed either captured or killed.
Dispatchers filtering through heavy censorship to Havana said Col. Fermin Cowley and his aide were cut down as they were leaving th«ir »antomal>il»i ¦Men in two cars approaching from opposite ends of the street opened fire with autO* matic weapons.
The army confirmed the shootings in a brief communique which reported that "order is complete in the Holguin region . . . and In the rest of the Re¬ public.
TTie re(»orts from Holguin It¬ self gave few details and iden¬ tity of the attackers was not immediately revealed.
Glen Alden's new $1,000,000 Audenreid Breaker, equipped with the world's most modern machinery for cleaning and prepar¬ ing anthracite, is now in operation.
From left to right can be seen the clean¬ ing plant into which raw coal is dumped from trucks; the rock pocket (small building In foreground) Into which the refuse from
the cleaning plant Is transferred by belt conveyor and then loaded into trucks for disposal; the si?:ing and loading plant where clean coal Is stocked In various sizes and then loaded Into railroad cars or trucks.
This new breaker is lower In height and more compact than similar structures of an earlier day.
Armed Forces Are Accused Of Squandering
GAO Says Funds And Materials Wasted Abroad
Demand Missile Czar Be Civen Real Authority
WASHINGTON (IP>—The Senate investigation of the Eisenhower administration's defen.se policies, opening Monday, will produce new demands for appointment of a single boss of rocket-missile produc
tion,    two    senators    in-<j>	
dicated .vesterday
The senators
Jury Out but 2 Hours In Manu Mines Case Of Mine-Filling Fake
HARRISBURG, Pa. (U^)—Eight men were convicted
by a Daujjhm County jury .yesterday of swindling the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission of $481,189 during
jconstruction   of  the   Northeastern   Extension  of  the
 $.dream  highway.
U.S. Scientists Sure Rocket Can Hit Moon
Want to Follow
Meteor Success
With Big Pellets
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Ma.ss. (IP) —Scientists yesterday con¬ fidently discus.sed a rocket firing to the moon as a result
of the U. S. penetration of inter- pleas were George Oswald,"^Dun- planetary space with artificial imore; Mario Fronduti, Dalton; meteors. jJohn   Munley,    Archibald,   and
In Pasadena, Calif., Dr. FritziJohn Williams, Clarks Summitt. Zwicky,  California   Institute  of!    Rogers.    Havard    and    Ketas Technology  astrophysicist,   said wore all employed by the Rogers American   should   bombard   the Construction Co., Scranton,
SIX women returned the guilty verdict after about two hours of deliberation. The men showed no emotion when the jury announced its verdict to a near empty courtroom
Four other defendents en¬ tered guilty picas to charges the commission was defrauded through the issuance of false payment vouchers bv which the agency was billed for materials it did not recHve.
The eight found guilty were Joseph Rogors, Scranton; Rob¬ ert Havard, West Pittston: Walter Ketas, Clarks Summit; Roger Hines, West Piiiston; Evan Moses, Wllkes-Barre; William I.lpfert, Trucksville; Francis Chlazra, Cateret, N. J, and Ronald H. Burkert, Ash¬ land. The four who entered guilty
l.v ber.   Sen.   Ralph   E.   Flanders, I moon and other nearby planets which billed the commission for
, ,  ..      „       nom meTn-|R.yj_ ^^^^ earlier last week heiwith two-pound pellets. imine-fil!   silt  not  delivered
bers  of  the   Preparedness   Sub-,was    disappointed    that "' "^  ' '
committee   which      " "
Was will   conductjju
disappointed that more limat^ iias not been given to tnan.
the investigation, voiced doubts'fjjif WASHINGTON (IP) the    President    has    gone    far
enough to streamline govern¬ mental machinery for the race to overtake Russian.
Sen. Styles Bridges, R-N.H., told reporters he believes there should be a real mis.sile boss, whether the man is called a di¬ rector, co-ordinator or czar. How Much Authority
A„ ^»j -,# I    He said the committee wants!   _,      _,    ,
ri.- rAn .. .^ ?"a* "^ ^'; « P'Ctur« of the authority given Edward Teller, •fatber" of the if^K^r?.^^f".'f„''H'*"''^T^„'"hi William Holadav, Defense De-i hydrogen bomb, who will be Air Force of sending too muchi.       ...,„'  ... ^followed    by    other    scientists
military hardware to some allies Rr Tmlc  p   k^iii,=.I   c^f^nt^?;^ "
¦,nA   r,^t   .«n,...k    „   «.u -    Tt Dr. James  K.  Kiiiian,  .scient f c
and   not   enough   to  other.s.   't adviser to Pre.sident Ei.senhower.
Congress' chief auditor has reported to Congress that the Army and the Air Force are squandering weap¬ on! and funds for the multi- blllion-dollar military aid pro¬ gram.
The General
Under the chairmanship of Senate Democratic leader Lyn¬ don B. John.son, the subcommit¬ tee will hold three days of hear¬ ings this week—some in public session and some in close 1—\nd return for a second round of hearings Dec. 1,3.
Teller Is First Wltnesi *
The first witness will be Dr
not delivered for Maurice Dubin of the Geo-,the flushing of atMindoned mines physical Research Directorate ofi beneath the Northeastern Exten- the Air Force Cambridge Re-1 sion. The other defendants were search Center, said yesterday's, inspectors for the Manu-Mine announcement of the break- Research and Development Co., through into interplanetary Reading, which figured in a pre- space "undoubtedly" prepared vious Turnpike ronspirarcy trial, the way for a rocket to the Amjsed of Taking Bribes moon. Hooked onto Rockets
"These pictures show the victim Ij'ing on her back in a pool of blood on the floor of her living quarters with her head resting against the base¬ board ad.jacent to thc closed door .separating the living quarters from the store. Her right arm was in a cast. The front of her dress was torn off and wrapped around her throat. There were marks in the pool of blood .similar to those that would be made if a mop had been u.sed to wipe up the blood. A hlood-stained towel was observed lying in the middle of the room approximately four feet away from the victim.
"To the righf of her head, between her head and the baseboard, was an object that appeared fo be a knob. (Captain Murray advised that this knob came from a metal closet which was located in the corner of the room.) The other part of this knob w;as observed lying several inches from the leg of a buffet located next to the metal cabinet. The victim's right foot was resting on a rug which was wrinkled as though she had stepped on it and it had slipped out from under her. It was also noted that the overhead light in the room was burning. A clock on the buffet reflected that the photographs were taken about 1:15 oclock.
"Captain Murray advised that an extensive search had been conducted by the police on the premises and fhe area about the hou.se in an at¬ tempt to locate the hatchet which had heen u.sed as a doorstop but it could not he found."
Wiih German
WASHINGTON (IPI—Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and German Foreign Minister Hein rich von Brentano conferred yesterday on ways to strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Or^ ganization and increase the con¬ fidence of member nations in the alliance,
Brentano was the third Euro¬ pean foreign minister to come here to discuss plans for nejrt month's Western "s u m m i t" meeting in Paris. French, British Before
French Foreign Minister Chris¬ tian Pineau and British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd, accom¬ panying British Prime Minister Harold Macmiiian, conferred earlier at separate meetings with President Eisenhower, Dulles and other U. S. officials.
Brentano was reported to be concerned about a "crisis of con¬ fidence" within NATO that he believes can only be resolved by getting members of the alli¬ ance to agree on a common foreign policy.
British Arms Far Tunisia Ta Mali Reds
BURY ST. EDMUNDS, Eng¬ land (IPI—British Foreign Secre¬ tary Selwyn Lloyd last night denied that Britain sent arms to Tunisia to undercut French in¬ fluence in North Africa.
"Our sole purpose was to pre-i
called  for  immediate  anion  to
stop  waste in  the  foreign  aid
program.
Extensive Investigation
Comptroller General Joseph Campbell, chief of the GAO. sent the agency's report to Vice President Richard M. Nixon, presiding officer of the Senate, and to Speaker Sam Raybum, presiding officer ol tht House.
A copy of the report was made available to the United Press yesterday.
The report summed up the GOA's findings in an extensive investigation of the milifar>' aid program in nine countries— France, Germany. Italy, .lapan, Korea, Pakistan, Spain, Formosa Taiwan and Turkey.
The  General   Accounting  Of¬ fice keeps tab on what happens to the money appropriated  by Congress. "Unrealistic"
Sen. John C. Stennis, D-Mi«s., vice chairman of the sub-com¬ mittee, said he wants to know the extent to which the Presi¬ dent "has authorized someone to really co-ordinate the entire missile program and given him authority to act."
"That is essential," he maid. "A new start has got to be tak¬ en at that point."
Stennis said he thought "there should be someone at the top, right next to the President," to direct the missile program.
A  third   subcommittee   mem-
Secretary of Defense Neil H. FJroy and other Pentagon offi¬ cials will testify later, probably Wednesday.
Bridges said these are among the questions the subcommittee wants answered:
—Is there a conflict of author¬ ity between Killian and Hola- day?
—Is research on the mterme- diate range ballistic missiles be¬ ing properly used In developing intercontinental missiles?
—Are scientists needed in the missile program being "siphoned off" for the international atoms- for-peace program?
Canadian Cold Due Here Today
Japanese Making Jet Fighters
The report said that U. S military aid objectives in manyicentuate" the cold temperatures allied countries are "unrealistic"!that will prevail over Wyoming and financially unsound, ft said Valley throughout today. Tomor- that this country has sent to row will be even colder. The some allies more weapons than high today may be a cool 40 de
'lOKYO IIP — Two prototypes of jet fighter planes to be pro¬ duced in Japan have been com¬ pleted by the Fjui Heavy Indus-
The weatherman predicts that;'""'^* ^''• snappy gusts of winds will ac-
The    eight    Manu-Mine    em- _  _    __  _ _ plovees were accused of accept-
DrTohn's. Rinehart, asslstant'l'lS.h^ihesfo': the.r co-operation
director of the Smithsonian As-
in   the  minefill   scheme
trophysical Observatorv at Cam- ,-,J^t *"^ <>' ^avid R. Jones, bridge, said artificial meteorites^'^'"!' ^„ ^8; on similar could be hooked onto rockets to h^rSL^,^" postponed  due  to
furnish   information   needed   to     tJ.  ",;,„„„ „„„.„., ,„,	
help pave the way for flights to' j,^^*'"'''^''^"'? P'^"''"^'°'^.*=°"- the moon "and beyond." 1^.'^"°"    .«"     ^"e    conspiracy
Yesterday's
".J        *l..        ¦«*«...        »».....      .....i.. U.I
reider, who charged the
first penetration mto interplane: ["^^ nn'on'^nrde^rpH tary sVe, began Oct. 16 a? Hoi-  "^ r"io"f
"""h" '^"'m"'"' ^"'^ '" ^''""''¦iwhere they reside, gorao, IN. M. ^^^^ I    Defense counsel for those con
announcement^*i^„^f^„if T" ^n^" imprison- made here .said the latest space ™^"'^"^ ."? ^^'^ ''"^ ¦'"'I?* experiment, believed to be man's j^^y f„^ ^^.^ ^^^^^ ,j,^^,y ^^,
the defend- the counties
M.
hJrW.^Il''''fhfn,?n„!i"^;w.r,':|v*<^'«d  indicated  that new  trial bearing-sized   aluminum   pellets      ^j        ^    ,j  ^    ,j,^     ^^^^
were  blasted   into  outer  space f^y^ j^ ".uim
l"MpnV,fJri'/'^»H ""L '^'  Vh.'[i    Aside from the newsmen cov- meteorites   escaped   the  earth s gnng the trial there were only
fn?„   L Ili^n^ ,h^.Tn tr«"'hrei spectators In court when mto the orbit of the sun. scien-the   juiV   retumed   Its   verdict. T-l    c ¦    .  c    .1              .11 Mrs. Ronald Burkert, wife of one Jw^ .^v."'"*L'^P"'"'m' ,"" ' !"|0f the  defendants,  was among wi bin the ear^^h s pull of gravi y the specutors. '
bu   the new   space pills,    with] 	
grees.
The skies today will be cloudy and the Weather Bureau at the
they could or would use and has failed to "recapture" these weapons for reallocation to al-
!.'« "'^l^'ZlinZZi^ 'fnl '^Z\r ^voca Airport reports a  possi trcW^     equipment   for   their|^i,jjy ^, ^^-^^p^pj'^^^^ „J^^.^
The GAO did not name thejC*"'""'*" Cold Due
countries receiving more mili-: Wyoming Valley today will tery equipment than they could|Come under the influence of a use. The agencv al-so did notjlow pressure system off James make    any    estimates    ot    the Bay.  Canada.  A cold front ex¬
tends in a southern direction through Michigan from the low air cell and this front will move into the valley later today. Fresh to strong gu.sterly winds out of the west will mark the cold front's arrival.
 .^-^-        ,-.-      BUENOS   AIRFS   (IPI—Buenos     This region  escaped the rain
vent Communist infiltration ofi Aires city authorities announced and snow tbat pelted the eastern North Africa," he said in a Con-ithe ban yesterday of more than; Jf aboard yesterday from North servative Party speech here. ^- -..  - ..
amounts  of money and  equip¬ ment Involved.
Argentina Bans Girlie Magazines
Valley Scenes
One miineian telling an¬ other over eoffee in Public SfjiKire rentinirnnt "when it coiiieH to singing my wife hat a kitchen range."
Coughlin »luilent tvith crew cut being nuked by kin girl whil he (inenn) "comb" hit hair like Klvi* Presley.
EdwarthvUlc girl Inking off high-heel ghoen to run fnxter and catch hu$ to get to work on  time.
speeds of 40,000 miles per hour,!
fha^t^'barrier''"''* '"'°''*" "'™"^''!Angeles Forest Fire
Zwicky,  who  suggested  the Brouaht Under Control pellet experiment, .said that fir- "^""9"'  wnuer v.onTroi
ing a two-pound slug at the AZUSA, Calif. ilP—Some I,- moon would be invaluable for 500 firefighters battling a 25,- research. He said it could be 000-acre fire in Angeles Nation- tracked until it hit the moon,;al Forest were aided by "vastly causing a tremendous dust cloud}improving" weather conditions that would be visible through yesterday. Officials hope for telescopes. I complete control of the blare by
He now envisions sending pel- tonight, lets to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.! For the first time since tt The latter planet would be a: broke out 20 miles northwe.st "particularly good" target be-tof Los Angeles on Thursday, cause a rich oxygen agent placed aerial tankers were able to drop in the pellet might mix with the water bombs on the fire. Heli- [methane and ammonia in Jupi-icopters also took to fhe air for [ter's atmosphere, creating a long the first time to supervise fire- streak. ...
fighting   operations   and   carry men into previously Inaccessible
Novelist fs Mother
LONDON    (1P>' — Forty-eight-'A»o-,|-. I-, BrealtAf year-old novelist and playwright '*TOmiC  IC*  OreaKOr
Peggy Barwell has given birth LONTX)N OPt—The first Sovie* to a six-pound, 12-ounce baby atomic ice breaker—the "Lenin" boy by Caesarian section. —is about to be launched.
There have been some re¬ ports that our action had behind it some economic purpose, that
a dozen American girlie maga- Carolina to New England. A low zines on the  ground that theyj pressure   system   which   caused are "immoral."  Among the pub-jthe storm  that hit Philadelphia Ikations   banned   were   "Gala," I and New York City moved out in some way we were trying to!"Playboy,"   "Nifty,"   "Pack   of,to sea lafe la.st night in a north- replace    French    influence    in I Fun," "Tab," "Vue," and "Pic-j eastem   direction   from   North North Africa. Ituresque." 'Carolina.
"I can give a flat and cate gorical denial to that allega tion," he said.
However, Edmund Serhan, son of the victim, ad¬ vised that it had been brought to the house, apparently some time before, and that he had used it to make minor repairs about the house. Was the Hatchet Used?
Now for the leads developed which indicate that the death of Mrs. Serhan might not .have been murder at all, not an intentional killing, at least, perhaps an accident and perhaps induced by purely natural causes.
At the very least, there are exceedingly strong;Lovye|> School Aae indications that the hatchet, generally considered the ^ncrnxi, nn „ -rt^ lethal weapon, had »ot been used at all.
After all, Mrs. Serhan in addition to being a highly emotional woman, was not .voung and was handicapped in all movements b.v a broken wrist.
She suffered, according to Dr. D. W. Kistler of 35
Grove St., a severe case of cirrhosis of the hver and schools, it is being enlarged andi Editorial Three
she might have hemorraged.    She also was a diabetic,eventually will become univer-jFrank Tripp Three
(Continued on Page 2, Sec 1) lul 'House Doctor Siz
INSIDE THE INDEPENDENT
Section Page I
Amusement Four
MOSCOW  (IPi  —  The  Soviet: Around the Town. ..Three
Teachers Gazette reported sue-;Better English Two
cess  of  an  experimental  effort City Hall News Five
to lower the school starting age:Classified Six
in Russia from seven to six. The;County News Five
experiment, sterted in 1956. nowjCrossword Puzzle...Six is   carried   on   in   25   Moscowi Drew Pearson .Three
10-lliHowCanI??? Five
7iIndoor Gardening.. Four
11 ^ Look and Learn Two
2 Obituary One   "
1-5, Politics Three
3|Robert C. Ruark.... Three
2! State Capital Five
6 State News Five
6 Sports Three
7 TV and Radio Four
4. Women's Section... four
Turncaai Dickenson Freed From Army Prison; Says He Wanis io Become Bapiisi Minister
FT. LEAVF..NWORTH, Kan. (IPl wus   sentenced   to   10   years   al hoped   to   operate   a   fumiture
—Ex-GI Edward Dickenson, for- hard labor, but the sentence was repair  shop  in   Nashville while
mer Korean War prisoner who reduced to five years last March going to Bible College.
dislikes being called a turncoat, 29. 'Tells of Red Threat
was freed  from the  U.  S. dis-     Dickenson   said  he  hopes   to     "I'm going to do my best to
ciplinary     barracks     yesterday enter the Free Will Baptist Bible teach people about the threat of
with  the  hope  of   becoming  a College  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in Communism-^teach   them   what
Baptist minister. January to begin his study for the  Communists  are   trying  to
There was little bittemess in the ministry. do," Dickenson said. He left the
the   27-year-old   former    back-     "Money   will   be   the   biggest prison    with   the   Rev.    Liest^r
woods corporal who said he has problem,"   he   told   the   United Jones,     Baptist     organizer     in
had only 90 days of fre«edom in Press. "I got the equivalent of Kansas City.
the past seven years. a  high school education at the     Dickenson also said he hoped
Section Page     "I   guess   those   Army   guys D-P   disciplinary   barracks   and to write a book of his experi-
6 just did  their duty in  sending think I  can  meet the entrance ences, especially concerning his
4 me to prison,"  he  said  with  a requirements." court-martial.    "My   lawyer   in
10 smile. "Those Army officers and     Dickenson   had  a  fifth  grade Washington, D. C, Guy E^ery,
8 the  Chinese  together—the Chi- education and was 20 Vf^rs old has   the  record  of  that   court-
6 nese took me prisoner—I guess when  he enlisted  in  the Army martial," he said,  "and  I  want
7 they just did what they had to in     1950    shortly    before    the to get it and show pe<^le what
4 do." Korean War began. In addition really   happened.   Thev   thought
5 Dickenson, of Big Stone Gap, to getting his high school edu- they   had  evidence — but   there 1-5 Va., served ^'4 years of a five- cation  at  the  D-P,  he  also  at- wasn't any evidence I could 'ind
9-10 year sentence and was freed on tended fumiture repair and cabi- on   which  to  convict   me,"   ha 1-8 good   behavior.   He   eriginaily net making •dx>od and said be.said.
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