February 13, 1969 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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83 Year -- No. 7 Published in "Chriatmastown, U.S.A.", Shelton, Washington 10 Cents per Copy
Thursday, February 13, 1969 IIntered as second clas matter at the post office at Shelton, Washington 98584
under act of March 8. 1879. Published at 227 West Cota. 16 Pages -- 2 Sections
Jury Is Hearing
HOWARD and his dog, Pennie, stand amid the
ruins of their home on Haxstine Island. The dog
was credited with saving her master's life by barking to
waken him after the fire started.
Saves Master From Fire In Home
(ARMEN YATES
has been said before, many,
no doubt, that given
OpPortunity things have a
)f evening themselves out,
for the bad or the good.
particular story there is
of both. For the story is
wining story of a man
Each having saved
life.
in th spring of 1961 a
on a routine trip into town,
noticed a dog lying in
grass off the shoulder of the
st past the city limits
that particular day he
only observed the
By chance, he took an-
route out' of town and
think too much more about
anin; 1.
the next day he
necessary to make an-
trip to town. Again he no-
the same dog in the same
as though the
moved since he
saw it. This time he did
He found a pup, or more
nearly a skeleton of
species, just passing
into a young
dog. When the man saw
al's condition he made
he didn't really
a dog, as he already had
but the dog certainly need-
dog which was close to
the point of no return,
get in the man's pickup
invited. It tried once,
have the strength to
in climbing or crawling
Vehicle. With the man's
Jog Succeeded on the
After that there
in esther's mind,
to each other.
years later the
close call. His
a resident of the
pickup onto the
promptly got
some of his
also coming home.
Wasn't anything to indicate
tragedy was about to
All the cars loaded,
slowly started to re-
course back to the Is-
one of the vehicles,
a brake set or gears to
SlOwly started to roll
off of a ferry, whose
.cteristic was its grow-
condition, more
vith passing age. Once
the ferry the pick-
roll down the steep
concrete ramp and
water.
boy, a friend
family, who
th" for a day's out-
err Hole-in-the.Wall
hearing the owner of
say his dog was in
Submerged vehicle,
the water and cllv-
to open the door to let
the dog swim free. Once the pet
was rescued the man was only
an interested spectator as his
only means of transportation was
hauled out the edge of Picker-
ing Pass.
Last week the same dog was
the heroine of the Island when
she saved her master in a fire
that completely destroyed their
log cabin home near the ferry-
landing. The house, its ,complete
construction being fir logs, was
only six years old.
An overheated electric heater
apparently was the cause of the
fire which started some time he-
tween 6 and 7 a.m. The ferry
crew coming on duty a little af-
ter 7 a.m. were the first hu-
mans to discover the blaze. But
prior to that the dog, Pennte,
aware of the fire and the dan-
ger to her beloved master, sum-
mcned up all the courage she
had to stay at her master,
George Howard's side in the
flaming dwelling, to whine, bark
and paw at her master, who lay
asleep on the couch right next
to a blazing partition, until he
awakened and discovered his
plight. Together man and dog
fled the firy house which had
nearly trapped them both.
Later, reminiscing about his
many losses, George first thought
of a ceramic piggy bank which
he had received as a child
of five, and was more than
sixty years old. This along with
unreplaceable pictures were the
things he regretted having lost
the most. Out of curiosity his
niece and another neighbor start-
ed looking through the ashes in
the corner of the house where
George had kept the keepsake
and soon had located one half
of the bank. Designed to break
apart with a light tap in the cen-
ter to release its treasure of
coins, the intense heat of the fire
had caused it to pop open. The
second half was found clear
across the room, both still intact.
So, at least one and only one,
sentimental momento was sal-
vaged from an otherwise total
destruction.
There was no insurance on the
five-room home owned by Ho-
ward and the collie, Pennie. For
the present, at least, he plans
to move into his brother-in-law's
house which is located next door.
Theo WaSte is presently staying
in Seattle with George's brother,
Bennet Howard.
As far as George Howard is
concerned Pennie has more than
sufficently expressed her thanks
and gratitude. Her debt has been
more than repaid. Not that he
has ever been in the least con-
cerned about an even score. But
fate has seen to it, in this case,
as in a good many others, that
in the due course of time an
even tally is achieved.
Two car loads of old friends of
George Howard's, the Langstead
and Skone families of Seattle
drove down to see the man and:
dog last weekend. Tlmy brotlght
with them a Dog Hero Award
from the Canine Lovers Associa-
tion for Pennie and gave it to
George.
The award is the first thing
Howard proudly shows all cal-
lers.
Finds
Burglary Case
, Three youths who admitted
taking part in a burglary, three
law enforcement officers, and
the woman whose home had been
burglarized had taken the wit-
ness stand for the prosecution
in the trial of David Miskinis,
20, Shelton, on charges of two
counts of second degree burg-
ary and one of grand larceny.
when court recessed Tuesday
afternoon.
The trial recessed after the
completion of the state's case
Tuesday afternoon and will re-
sume at 9:30 a.m. this morning
after a holiday Wednesday be-
cause of Lincoln's Birthday.
Taking the witness stand as
the final witness for Prosecuting
Attorney John C. Ragan was
Randy Ogg, 15, who now lives
in Ellensburg.
Ogg testified that he had been
with Miskinis and Charles Holt
during much of the day last
May 31 and in the early morn-
ing hours June 1 when the in-
cidents in which Miskinis is
charged occurred.
He testified that some time
(luring the day May 31, he and
Miskinis and Holt, had left Mis-
kinis' home and gone to an un-
occupied house in the Dayton
area.
He stated they forced the door
to the house open and removed
a rug, some pillows, tapestry
and other items, loaded them in-
to a car and took them to Mis-
kinis' home on Adams St.
He testified that he had been
with Mtsklnis most of the rest
of the day and the following
night.
He said he, Miskinis, Holt and
Victor Anderson were at the Mis-
kinis home shortly after mid-
night when Danny Walter, John
Peters and Marvin Simpson ar-
rived there after returning from
playing for a dance somewhere,
Th: roup sat around in Mis-
inis' .bedroom until,-early in the
morning, Ogg said, when they
all got into WaRer's car and re-
turned to the home in the Day-
ton area where they went into
the house again and some more
items were removed.
Under cross examination by
G, uilb/
Rumpff, 44, Shelton
guilty of two char.
liberties by a
Superior Court
Week.
in its vet-
night after
of deliberation.
had heard three
in the case.
involved two girls,
and one 16,
THEIR EIGHTH BIRTHDAY will be celebrated tomorrow
by the Trotzer triplets. Jean, Jane and Joan (not neces-
sarily in that order above) were born on Valentine's Day
in 1961. They axe the daughters of Mr" and Mrs. Norman
Trotzer, Second graders now, the girls confuse their
teacher, their friends, their father, and, on occasion, their
mother. Outside of school their main Interest is caring
for the cow they raised from a calf. They have taken
total responsibility for the animal and are looking forward
to caring for a calf expected next month.
Misklnis' attorney, Byron Mc-
Clanahan, Shelton, Ogg stated he
had never heard the story about
the house being haunted and a pi-
ano in the house which a ghost
was supposed to play.
He said he had first known
Misktnis several years ago when
they were neighbors, and, after
not seeing him for some time,
became re-acquainted when he
stopped at Miskinis' home about
a month before the incident to
ask about a motor bike Miskinis
had there.
Testifying earlier were Peters
and Walter, who both told bas-
ically the same story - that they
had gone to Miskinis' home after
returning from playing for a
dance shortly after midnight,
and, after sitting around listen-
ing to records for the rest of the
night, they had all gone to the
house in the Dayton area in
Waiter's car and all had gone
into the home and several items,
including pillows and a small
rug, candles and candle holders,
were loaded into the back of the
car and taken to Miskinis' home.
Both boys told about hearing
stories about the house being
haunted, and, Peters admitted
he had played the piano which
he had heard a ghost sometimes
played. The ghost, he said he
had heard, was supposed to have
been someone who was shot
while playing the piano, and that
there were bullet holes in the
piano.
Both Peters and Walter said
they were 17 years old, and had
met Miskinis when they had
played in bands together.
Undersheriff Harold Brown
told the jury in his testimony
that he had gone to Miskinis'
home to talk to him about the
items missing from the John
Dinning home in the Dayton
area.
He stated he had been invited
into the home by Miskinis and
that the youth had given him
some pillows and other items
which were later identified as
coming from the Dinning home.
Brown said Miskinis had later
come to the Sheriff's Office at
his request to talk about the
items which had been found at
his home.
Brown identified a statement
which Misldnis gave in which
he said he had been at the home
and that the items found at his
home were taken from the house
in the the Dayton area.
Brown said he later recover
ed a number of the other mis-
sing items in subsequent visits
to the Mlakin home.
In a hearing on whether or
not the statement Miskinis gave
and signed should be admitted,
Mlskinis contended that rown
had told him he was only Inter
ested in recovering the stolen
items, and, that no charges
would be brought if the items
were recovered.
Sheriff Wally Anderson and
Deputy David Canady testified
they had witnessed Miskinis'
(Continued on page 2)
Kathy Dickinson
Rita Nutt
Frances Trimble
Janice Wittenberg
Candidates
, Candidates for 1969 Forest
Festival Queen have been selec-
ted by Mason County's three
high schools.
Candidates from Shelton High
School are Rita Nutt, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Nutt;
Kathy Dickinson, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Dickinson,
and Janice Wittenberg, daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Witten-
herg.
The candidate from Mary M.
Knight, is Frances Trimble,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Trimble.
The North Mason candidate is
Sandi Fleury, daughter of. Mr.
and Mrs. Grover Fleury, Belfair.
One of the five girls will be
selected as the queen by a panel
of Judges at the Queen Selection
dinner March 4.
Tim other four will he princes-
ses for the Forest Festival act-
ivities.
SandS Fleury
David Erwin Dies Of Iniuries
• David Clyde Erwin, 18, son
of Mr. and Mrs, Robert Erwin,
Shelton, died in Tacoma Gen-
eral Hospital last Thursday of
injuries suffered in a sledding
accident here Jan. 2/.
The Mason County Sheriff's Of-
fice said its investigation of the
incident in which the youth was
injured was continuing.
Officers said the youth was be-
ing towed behind a vehicle on
an inner tube when he crashed
into a telephmm pole.
He was taken to Mason Gen-
eral Hospital for emergency
City Has Hearing On
Housing Proposal
• The Shelton City Commission
at its meeting Tuesday approved
a resolution which would permit
the operation of federal renl
sumplementai housing in the
city.
The commission's action came
after a hearing at which a num-
ber of people appeared, some in
support and others in opposition,
not so much to the resolutlon
itself, but, to the site which has
been proposed.
Mayor Frank Travis did not
vote on the issue and turned
the meeting over to Commission-
er Dave Kneeland during the
discussion, Travis said he, as
mayor, is a member of the Shel-
ton General Hospital board, and,
that since the property the de-
veloper of the proposed project
is interested in is the old Shel-
ton General Hospital site, he
would take no part in the dis-
cusslon or decision.
Kneeland stressed that the ac-
tion the commission was con-
sidering involved only approval
of rent supplemental housing in
the city, and did not involve any
specific location.
Curtis Peterson, a represen-
tative of Conifer Inc., Tacoma,
the firm which is interested in
the project, appeared at the meet.
ing to answer questions.
Peterson stated that the deve-
lopment would be owned by his
company, and, they would be re-
sponsible for its maintenance.
Those who appeared at the
meeting to speak in opposition
appeared to be not against the
rent supplemental program in
the city, but, against the propos-
ed location. Most of those who
attended were residents of ad-
Joining areas.
treatment and then transferred
to the Tacoma Hospital.
The accident occurred on the
Delight Park road at Isabella
Lake.
He was born Nov. 10, 1950 in
Centralia, and had lived in this
area two years. He was a stu-
dent at Shelton High School and
a member of the United Metho-
dist Church.
Funeral services were held
Saturday at the United Metho-
dist Church with Rev, Horace
Mounts officiating. Burial was in
Shelton Memorial Park under the
direction of Batstone Funeral
Home.
Survivors include his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Erwin,
Shelton, four brothers, James,
Stephen, Paul and Timothy, all
at home. Grandmothers, Mrs.
Clyde Erwin, Centralla, and Mrs.
Elsie Madsen, Chehalls, and
great-grandmother, L. K. Mad-
sen, Chehalls.
HC L Voers Pass
School Bond Issue
• Hood Canal School District
voters Tuesday approved a $360¢
000 bond issue for building con-
struction by a margin of 78 per
cent.
The bond issue received 456
yes votes and 122 no. The voter
turnout needed was 430, which
was well below the 579 who did
turn out.