Dailu hansan
Lawrence, Kansas
61st Year, No.91
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1964
Traditional Revues Survive Troubles
By Nancy Schroeter
Rock Chalk Revue, now in its 14th year, has a long and interesting history.
Professor Emeritus Allen Crafton, former head of the Department of Speech and Drama and now retired, reminisced about his long association with the Revue. He remembers that when he first came to KU in 1923 there was a senior play, a junior play, and a musical comedy.
The musical comedy, which gave $50 for the winning script and music submitted, was one of the first signs of anything which resembles the present Rock Chalk, Prof. Crafton said.
RIGHT AFTER World War II "College Daze" was started. Counted as another predecessor to the present Revue "College Daze" lasted about 3 years. The production consisted of a full-length play with music and a script.
The Revue, itself, originated from student planning. Prof. Crafton said that he could not remember who had acutely thought out or popularized the idea. "Since the Revue was started I've been interested because it's the only event on the hill which is all student done," Prof. Crafton commented.
In the past the Revue has been somewhat "dirty." Prof. Crafton explained. George Docking, former governor of Kansas, was criticized during the 1960 Revue which followed the resignation of Murphy as chancellor of KU. In a letter to the editor of the University Daily Kansan in 1960 Prof. Crafton wrote: "I am still for the idea of an all-student production. I regret that it has to be one with so few good original ideas, one which at times reaches the low level of insult, which is offensive to some and is often in bad taste."
AUDIENCES DO not like down right smut, Prof. Crafton explained, and "The judges are not going to rate highly something that's dirty."
However, although Rock Chalk "may be crude it's still important." he said.
Censorship has also caused some problems in the past. Before Rock Chalk began, other student productions were censored at various times. However, Prof. Crafton remembers, "I've never known anytime when censorship worked."
PROF. CRAFTON recalled specific incidents involving censorship. At one time when the YMCA and the YWCA sponsored the "Y Follies" one skit involved a cabinet. The cabinet, about 4 feet square and 6 feet high, was rolled onto the stage and a curtain which covered one side of the cabinet was drawn back. Inside the cabinet was a girl dressed in a red bathing suit. The Y secretaries censored the scene from the skit. However, on opening night the students put the "cabinet scene" back into the skit.
the "cabinet scene" back into the skit. "Through the years I've been against censorship," Professor Crafton commented.
Prof. Crafton pointed out some of the changes that have been made in Rock Chalk Revue since its beginning. Not until 1959 did the Revue have mixed skits. Previously skits had been composed of either all men or all women.
HE ALSO commented on the short between acts which have replaced the master of ceremonies: "I feel at times this stuff between acts is long and may endanger the importance of the skirts."
However, Prof. Crafton expressed his support of Rock Chalk: "I'm for it because it's a darn good trick to get students to work on a production."
This year the Rock Chalk Revue will be at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in Hoch Auditorium. The Revue, entitled "Lacerated Legends" will include these skirts: "All's Not in Vein," Sigma Chi-Gamma Phi Beta; "You Can Take It With You," Kappa Sigma-Delta Gamma; "Allewdwin and His Magic Pot," Phi Kappa Psi-Delta Delta Delta; and "Operation Bootstraps," Alpha Tau Omega-Chi Omega.
Preliminary Hearing Set For Edwards Tomorrow
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow in Douglas County court for John S. Edwards, who was arraigned Sunday on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting of Pedro Escobar.
Escobar, a native of Mexico, was shot to death Saturday night.
Edwards is now incarcerated in the Douglas County Jail without bond.
Edwards, 32, and Escobar, 37, were both assistant instructors in the KU Spanish department.
Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe said Edward's assistant instructor position has been terminated.
"His status as assistant instructor of Spanish was terminated when he was incarcerated," the chancellor said.
Depending on the ruing of the judge, Edwards will either be set free or bound over for trial in District Court.
The shooting occurred at 9:10 p.m. Saturday at an apartment on 121 W. 14th St. Escobar was at a party next door to the apartment of Edwards. Edwards is alleged to have rapped on the door of the apartment where Escobar was, and Escobar answered the door.
McDill "Huck" Boyd
At an arraignment Sunday, Edwards was charged with first degree murder.
'Huck' Boyd Here Tonight
A former Board of Regents chairman will campaign for the office of governor on the campus tonight.
He is McDill "Huck" Boyd, a Phillipsburg newspaper publisher. Chairman of the "Huck" Boyd for Governor club, John Dunn, Hutchinson junior, said Boyd would speak to the KU public in the Big Eight Room of the Kansas Union at 7:30.
KU ADMINISTRATORS remember Boyd for his work as chairman of the Board of Regents when Boyd arranged for a survey of classroom space and facilities in Kansas institutions of higher learning. Many of the new buildings on the campus were built because the survey showed KU facilities were sub-standard.
Speaking of Boyd, Ray Nichols, vice-chancellor in charge of finance, said "He has been consistently a proponent for adequate facilities for institutions of higher learning, not only for his own alma mater, but for KU as well." Boyd graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan.
BOYD HAS HELD public and party offices in diverse areas of interest. In addition to serving as a Board of Regents chairman, Boyd has been the treasurer of the Kansas Press Association, president of the Highway U.S. 36 Association, and a director of the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce.
In the Republican Party, Boyd is the First District Republican chairman. Boyd managed the Eisenhower campaign in Kansas in 1952 and the Robert Dole campaign for Congressman. He was an administrative assistant to Ed Arn, a former Kansas governor.
If Boyd's 1964 campaign is like his campaign in 1960, it will be showy. "The Huckelberries," a group of twenty teenagers from Phillipsburg, had traveled over 13,300 miles on campaign trips for him by midsummer. They dressed in red waist-coats, wore black derby hats and sang original songs.
IN 1960 Boyd was an unsuccessful candidate when he lost the primary election to John Anderson, Jr., by 11,000 votes.
One Phillipsburg supporter built a float to carry a twenty piece rodeo band that accompanied Boyd on trips throughout the state.
"Perhaps the greatest service government can render today is to remember the taxpayer first," Boyd said in a public relations release.
Weather
Dallas Ruby Trial; Six Jurors Picked
Skies will be clear tonight and partly cloudy Thursday. No rain or snow is predicted. Tonight's low will be near 20 and Thursday's high will be in the upper 40s.
DALLAS —(UPI) —Gwen L. English, a stylish secretary, today was selected as seventh juror in the Jack Ruby murder trial.
A young paper salesman today was sworn in as sixth juror in the Jack Ruby murder trial. After nine days of trial, the jury was half completed.
R. J. Flechtner, 29, a suburbanian like four of the previous jurors selected, had been on the stand less than 20 minutes when both sides accepted him.
THE SPEED-UP of the trial, apparent yesterday, continued today, with the likelihood of night sessions to spur proceedings.
Flechtner joins Douglas J. Sowell, Luther E. Dickerson, Mrs. Mildred McCollum, Allen W. McCoy and Max E. Causey in the courthouse isolation dormitories for jurors.
Ruby, tense and nervous, blinked rapidly during questioning of jurors. At one point, he held an animated whispering conversation with chief defense attorney Melvin Belli.
BELLI DID NOT press the point, although he has been arguing vainly that anyone who saw a telecast is a witness and cannot be a juror.
Both sides felt that the jury would be complete by the middle of next week.
r ectchner, the 82nd panelist called,
said he saw a re-run telecast of the slaving.
The defense is now putting out the word that Ruby, the sick looking, hollow-eyed, moist-faced little defendant, could quite easily become a nervous wreck before it's all over.
Speeding things along, Judge Joe B. Brown of criminal district court no. 3 served notice he may begin night sessions tonight.
night session tonight.
"I think I'll start night session"
then," he told Henry M, Wade, district attorney. He could change his mind, but Wade said he sounded positive.
DEFENSE attorney Melvin Belli, resigned but unbowed, said: "Next week, regardless of what we can do, say, or otherwise, that box there will be filled."
He nodded toward the jury box. There are 12 seats, and no provision for alternate jurors. Texas law allows none. If a juror becomes too ill to serve, after the panel is sworn, it's a mistrial and they start all over again.
The northwest corner of the court building in which Ruby is being tried and the southeast corner of the school depository building which served as a sniper's post for the assassin face each other across the same intersection—Houston and Elm streets. The windows of the press room look directly out on the corner window from which the shots were fired.
Bulletin
WASHINGTON —(UPI)— The Senate today passed decisively and sent to President Johnson a landmark $11.5 billion tax cut bill that means an average $4-to-$5 weekly paycheck boost for millions. And it'll begin showing up next week.
The vote was 74 to 19.
The sweeping election-year tax reduction—biggest in U.S. history—for individuals and corporations was whisked to the White House where Johnson was expected to sign it quickly, possibly by late afternoon.
The President will go on nationwide television at 5 p.m. (C.S.T.) to discuss this most pleasant legislative development since he took office.
Baker's Secretary Refuses To Answer
WASHINGTON — (UPI) — Bobby Baker's girl Friday, Carole Tyler, today refused like her boss, to answer questions by Senate investigators about Baker's sideline activities while he was a Senate aide.
The 24-year-old former Tennessee beauty queen, attractively attired in a white suit with big black buttons, sat composed and smiling at the Senate Rules Committee witness table while her attorney Myron G. Erlich talked with newsmen minutes before a hearing opened.
Erlich said Miss Tyler would decline, on his advice, to answer the committee's questions.
ERLICH CITED curbs which he said the Constitution places on Congress in arguing that the committee proceeding had no legislative purpose and was an "invalid invasion" of Miss Tyler's rights. Furthermore, Erlich said, Miss Tyler would claim protection against possible self-imprisonation under the 5th Amendment.
Baker, former $19,600 a-year secretary to Senate Democrats, amassed a personal fortune while serving in the senate post. The senators are delving into how he did it and whether improper influences were involved.
Baker has twice refused to answer pertinent questions in appearances before the committee. He declined yesterday at a public session after also pleading the 5th Amendment and other reasons in a closed door appearance last week.
MISS TYLER, a one-time Lenoir City, Tenn., beauty contest winner, was Baker's secretary when he was a senate official and is currently employed in his law office here.
She was subpoenaed to testify today after the committee said she refused to appear voluntarily.
Miss Tyler wore long black leather gloves which contrasted with the white of her suit. She was composed.
ERLICH TOLD newsmen that "This committee—no one" has the right to invade the privacy of his client.
However, Erlich said he did not object to televising the hearing as did Edward Bennett Williams. Baker's attorney, at yesterday's session. Cameras were barred during Baker's tesumium, but his remarks were broadcast on radio and television.
Among the questions Baker refused to answer was one on whether Miss Tyler and Elly Rometch, glamorous wife of a German soldier stationed here, accompanied him on a business trip outside Washington.
EARLIER TESTIMONY also indicated that Miss Tyler, on at least one occasion, helped to count a sizable amount of cash taken from a file cabinet in Baker's capitol office.
Baker's refusal to answer and provide documents yesterday could lead to contempt of Congress proceedings, a possibility mentioned by Sen. Joseph S. Clark, D-Pa., but any such action will await the committee's deliberations after it has heard more witnesses.
Lennox P. McLendon, the committee's special counsel, made one suggestion in that regard, however.
Noting that Baker had held an office of high public trust, McLendon said his claim of constitutional privilege was "a tragedy" and suggested that it was time to decide whether public officials should not be denied protection of the Fifth Amendment.