Three Children Released From Home
Where They Had Been Hidden 11 Years j
TECUMSEH, Out., UP) — What
do three youngsters who have
been hidden away in a house for
11 years think of when first re
leased?
Who’s going to ' be the next
President of the United States . , .
where the Milwaukee Braves
stand . . . hockey teams . . ..and
what other kids look like.
At least that’s what the three
youngsters of Shirley Leach, 38,
talked about when they were re
leased from an 11-year confine
ment by police.
Their knowledge of the outside
world—and curiosity about it—
came largely from watching tele
vision.
The case came to light Thurs
day when one of the children,
Gordon Dickerson, 15, came out
of the house while his mother was
at the dentist’s.
The mother had kept the young
sters concealed from the outside
world since the housing shortages
following World War II, when she
feared landlords would not rent
to her with six children.
“For a long1 time we couldn’t
see out,” Gordon said after his
release. “There were boards over
the window. But one day I made
a hole in one of the boards and
we saw lots of things like cars.
That’s how I know about streets
and things.
After 11 years, officials said,
the three appeared normal ex
cept for size. They are Gordon
and his two sisters Connie, 16,
and Glenda, 13. The boy stands
3 feet 11 inches and the girls
appear small for their ages. They
are children of Mrs. Leach’s first
marriage, as are three other older
children who never disclosed the
family secret.
The three youngsters were al
lowed the run of their two-story
frame house which they shared
with 15 cats.
Police said Mrs. Leach and her
husband, Donald, an interior dec
orator and painter, appeared re
lieved the case was discovered.
The mother told officers it began
in 1949 after divorce ended her
first marriage. She said because
it was difficult to find housing for
a large family she told a land
lord she had only three children.
By 1953, when the family bought
their own home, the mother said
she was too embarrassed to tell
her friends about the other three
children.
Child welfare officials said the
youngsters hadn't had any medi
cal attention for five years. The
parents have agreed to let the
children be taken to a hospital.
Superase Bond Typing Paper
For Sale at the Nugget
Reds Term “Provocative”
Plans to Base U.S.
Nuclear Subs In Britain
LONDON, Iff) — Moscow radio
Saturday termed “clearly provo
cative” the plan to provide Brit
ish bases for American nuclear
submarines equipped with Polar
is missiles.
The Russian language broad
cast said the United States “forced
Britain to assume more onerous
commitments” in exchange for
“the dubious promise of more de
tailed information” on reconnais
sance flights.
“Thus, new bases, being created
with aims clearly provocative to
ward the Soviet Union, are to be
added to the already existing Am
erican bases on British territory.”
AH. YOUTH!
BANGKOK, Thailand, liP—Col
lege students here have started a
new fad, smoking opium through
drinking straws. Police report the
latest craze in narcotics consump
j tion is capsule smoking, which
I involves burning opium flakes in
a tinfoil wrapper and drawing up
the smoke through regular drink
ing straws.
IN THE FACE OF TRADITION
WAYNESBURG, Pa., M — Wha
| hoppened? It didn’t rain Friday
! in this southwestern Pennsylvania
j town where tradition says it rains
; every July 29.
For only the 10th time in the
last 85,years, Mother Nature did
n’t come through. Townspeople
had to celebrate their annual
“rain festival” without rain.
Rubber
Stamps
Large assortment of styles
and sizes at reasonable prices
. . . Fast, efficient, courteous
service.
The
Nome Nugget
Nome, Alaska
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House Speaker
Says Initiative
No. 1 Is Invalid
FAIRBANKS, (Ah — Warren A.
Taylor, Speaker of Alaska’s House
of Representatives, said Saturday
that Initiative No. 1 is legally in
valid. He said he believes that
the legislature “need take no heed
of the results” in the forthcoming
election.
The veteran Democratic poli
tician said the manner in which
Anchorage forces are seeking to
have Juneau vacated as the seat
of state government is unconsti
tutional.
“Section 20 of the Constitution
reads that ‘the capital of the State
of Alaska shall be at Juneau’ and
this provision is so clear that
there can be no misunderstand
ing of text,” Taylor said.
A little research would have
indicated that a constitutional
amendment could not be adopted
in that manner, he stated.
Taylor asked: “Was it permit
ted to go through because John
Rader, a resident of Anchorage,
was Attorney General at that
time?”
Taylor, a Fairbanks attorney,
said only laws can be changed by
initiative. Alteration of the Con
stitution can be effected only by
a constitutional convention, or a
two-thirds vote of both houses
of the legislature.
Once the legislature has ap
proved the measure then it must
be placed before the voters.
Commenting on his feelings
about the matter other than legal
points, he stated “Balloting on the
capital change does nothing but)
stir up strife and has been the
means of injuring the economy of
Juneau.”
Taylor, a longtime Alaskan, said
that expenditure of many millions
of dollars at this time to move
the capital would be wasteful of
taxpayers money.
Chinese Rip Van Winkeless
HONG KONG, (IP) — A Chinese
woman has been unconscious for
nearly three years in a govern
ment hospital here, and doctors
say they do not know how much
longer her condition will last.
The woman is believed to be
suffering from cerebral anoxemia.
She sank into a coma during an
operation. Doctors say she could
j live in that condition for many
years and eventually recover.
Nome Directory
Northwestern Alaska
Chamber of Commerce
Meets Every Monday Noon at
North Star Dining Room
Pearse Walsh, President
ALASKA CHAPTER NO. I
Order of Eastern Star
Ruth Reed
Worthy Matron
Verna Mickelson
Secretary
Meets first and third Mondays
ANVIL LODGE
No. 140
BYRON G. REED. W.M.
Norvln W. Lewis, Sec.
Meet* First and Third Thursday
of Each Month
NOME ROTARY CLUB
Robert Grant
President
Dusty Rhode
Secretary
Wednesday launcheoi
Parent-Teachers Assn.
Meets last Tuesday of irrery
month at School.
MINA BACHELDER, President
J ANE FOSTER, Secretary
— VISITORS WELCOME —