UFO Newsclipping Service - 1973 11 - no 55

Magazine Overview

This issue of the STATE-TIMES, dated Friday, October 19, 1973, features a prominent cover story titled "Jailer Stopped By UFO," detailing a vivid encounter in Wayne County, North Carolina. The magazine reports on multiple UFO sightings across various locations, including Louisiana, South Carolina, Virginia, and Illinois, with a focus on eyewitness accounts and the characteristics of the observed phenomena.

Jailer Stopped By UFO

The lead story recounts the experience of Wayne Jailer Lloyd Smith, who reported seeing a "blinding, spinning object" descend to within 50 feet of his car on Old Grantham Road, three miles east of Grantham. Smith described the object as initially appearing like a flare, then changing colors to red and silverish, and finally blue and silver as it neared the ground. He characterized its shape as like the crown of a mushroom, revolving rapidly. The object hovered about 50-75 feet from his car, blinding him. Smith estimated its size to be about 12 feet across. He reported the incident to Magistrates Donald Hicks and J. H. Garris, who believed Smith was telling the truth. The article also notes that dispatchers at the Wayne County Courthouse and Goldsboro Police Department received numerous calls about UFOs the previous night, with objects described as varying from banana-shaped to teapot-shaped to saucer-shaped.

UFOs Reported in Watson, Zachary By Two Residents

This section details recent UFO sightings in the Watson and Zachary areas of Louisiana. A 19-year-old man from Watson reported seeing objects emitting swirling vapor trails, similar to a jet but circular in shape. He observed these at 6:30 a.m. and claimed fellow workers at a Baton Rouge grocery also witnessed them. He also reported hearing a whirring noise and seeing flashing red lights around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

A Zachary woman reported that two strings, about six feet in length, fell on her seven-year-old son. The boy claimed he saw a rocket and sketched a drawing of a cigar-shaped object. The substance evaporated on contact with the skin, a characteristic of "angel hair."

Two men on an offshore oil platform reported an unidentified flying object making whining sounds and flashing colored lights, hovering within 100 feet and knocking out electrical power on the rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The object sped away, and power was restored.

The article mentions multiple Louisiana UFO reports, including a woman in Lake Charles who claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object with "UFO" written on its side. Governor Edwin Edwards humorously responded to questions about flying saucers by stating he didn't drink and would register any extraterrestrial visitors to vote.

Filmy, string-like substances, described as threads of spiderweb, were also reported falling from a clear sky in Northwest Louisiana.

Three Report Glowing Object: UFO Sighted In Hartsville?

This article from the Darlington County Tribune reports on sightings in Hartsville, South Carolina. Cole Barnhill and his wife, Letha, reported being awakened by a bright red glow at 6:10 a.m. on Saturday, October 6th. They saw a round, red object "like a full moon but much brighter" hanging in the sky, about 65-70 yards from their window. They watched it for 15-20 seconds before it "blinked out." The intensity of the light made everything seem dark afterward.

Heyward Byrd, from the Byrdtown Community, reported seeing something "like a light or fire" over a hill near Antioch School around 6:15 a.m. the same morning. He described it as a round, bright object, "like the moon, but much brighter," located to the right of a red light on the Carolina Power & Light Company plant. Byrd was about 7-8 miles away from the Barnhills' location.

Cole Barnhill stated that he and his wife were "cold sober" and that he would have liked to have taken a ride in a UFO.

Big Blast, UFO's Shake People Over Wide Area

This article from The Evening Leader in St. Marys, Ohio, reports on a loud blast at 8:41 p.m. that shook homes and was accompanied by sightings of fast-moving objects with flashing red, blue, and green lights. Thousands in the area were reportedly asking what the phenomena were. Reports came from St. Marys, Wapakoneta, New Bremen, Minster, Buckland, Cridersville, Shawnee, Lima, Piqua, Greenville, and other points. The blast was believed to be a sonic boom, though no jet planes were reported flying. The objects with flashing lights were described as appearing to be at a standstill. The Port Columbus International Airport reported two planes flew low around the time of the blast, but Lockburne and Wright-Patterson Air Force Bases stated no supersonic aircraft were active. Calls were received from as far away as West Virginia.

Reports Continue Of UFO Sightings

This piece from THE MADISON PRESS in London, Ohio, details more sightings. A woman reported seeing a bright, luminous UFO on Tuesday morning. Descriptions included an oblong-shaped object, somewhat like a football, with a yellowish-orange color, hovering above trees and lighting up the area. Another report from Chillicothe involved three large objects descending toward a car on a dark road. A woman in Uniontown reported an "unworldly" form landing on the hood of her car.

UFO seen over Madison

This article from the Culpeper Star-Exponent in Culpeper, Virginia, details a reporter's personal sighting. Donnie Johnston received a call about a strange light over Madison. He drove to the area and, with Mrs. Kenneth Hensley and others, observed a large, glowing object on the southeastern horizon. It appeared to move from southwest to northeast. The object seemed to be several thousand feet high and was not blinking but glowing, with a reddish hue more prominent on the lower side. It appeared stationary at first, then moved rapidly, disappearing in seconds. The Hensleys had previously reported seeing a "huge, silvery-bluish glow" in the sky on Sunday night, which moved parallel to the road and hovered. Smaller lights detached from the main object, and then the larger object disappeared into the trees. At least nine people had witnessed similar phenomena in the area within four nights.

Tells of two strange incidents

From the HATTIESBURG AMERICAN in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this article recounts two incidents reported by Henry Brown. The first occurred around 4 a.m. Tuesday when Brown felt a weight on his car, all doors opened, and he felt cool air before the doors closed and the weight lifted. He then saw an object shaped like a squash moving off in the air, with colored rings. The second incident occurred Thursday morning when his car lights went out, the motor stopped, and the steering wheel wouldn't turn as he approached Hutchinson Ave. Everything then returned to normal.

UFOs Real, Readers Say

This section from the OAKLAND TRIBUNE in Oakland, California, presents results from a reader poll. Almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents believed that UFOs are actually objects sent to Earth by intelligent beings from a distant planet and are intelligently directed. Thirty-five percent disagreed. Quotes from readers express beliefs in extraterrestrial life and intelligent direction of UFOs, while others suggest they might be experimental devices or optical illusions.

Sheriff's deputies say UFOs almost attacked squad car

This UPI report from PINE, Louisiana, describes sheriff's deputies chasing five orange-reddish flying objects. Deputy Michael Moore stated that the objects "came down at his patrol car" when red lights were activated, and then vanished when the lights were turned off. The objects were reported 150 miles northwest of Pascagoula, Mississippi. Another witness, Lloyd Mercier, reported seeing a red glow, approximately 15-20 feet in diameter, hovering about 125-200 feet in the air, which gradually disappeared over five to six minutes.

Examination Of Object Found In Illinois

This LEBANON, INDIANA-REPORTER article details Don Taylor and Joe Lacy finding a watermelon-sized, limestone-like object near a railroad trestle where they claimed a bright flying object had crashed. The object, weighing at least 50 pounds, was displayed. A physics professor, Art Braundmeier, examined the object and expressed skepticism, suggesting it might have fallen off a passing train and noting that a heavy object from the sky would have made a significant impact sound.

UFOs Under Scrutiny By Experts

A SAN DIEGO (AI) report states that thirty scientists are working on a project to prove or disprove the existence of UFOs using an electromagnetic sensing device. The group includes scientists from the Naval Electronics Laboratory Center, the University of California, and San Diego State University.

'SPACE MIDGETS' SIGHTED

This ATHENS, Ga., (UPI) report describes two "little men" dressed in silver emerging from a spaceship. Paul Brown of Athens saw the spacecraft land on a highway and two 4-foot-tall creatures with white hair get out. He fired two shots from a pistol as they reboarded their craft. Henry Lambert of Griffin, Ga., reported seeing a craft shaped like a 50-foot football hovering off the ground.

Local UFO reports increasing

This article from the South Bay Daily Breeze in Torrance, California, notes an increase in UFO reports, with some incidents being intriguing. Peter Guttilla of the California UFO Research Institute is investigating a legitimate incident where a man reported an unidentified flying object landing in front of his car in the Santa Ana Mountains. The car reportedly ran into the UFO, and the craft then whisked away. Guttilla also mentions sightings of lights and a large oval-shaped object in Simi Valley. One report describes a humanoid being exiting a craft that hovered off the ground. Two patrolmen reported seeing an object land near Van Ness Avenue and Gramercy Place. An airplane pilot and others reportedly saw a 300-foot diameter object rise out of the sea.

Detector Test Fails To Shake UFO Story

This report from Pascagoula, Mississippi, details a polygraph test administered to Charles Hickson, who claimed he and a co-worker were taken aboard a UFO by three crab-clawed creatures. Scott Glasgow, a polygraph specialist, stated it was his opinion that Hickson told the truth. Jackson County Sheriff Fred Diamond believed "something" happened to the men, and Northwestern University astronomy chairman Dr. J. Allen Hynek interviewed them under hypnosis.

Residents Of Allen, De Kalb Counties, Convinced UFO Started Woods Fire

In Fort Wayne, Indiana, residents of Allen and DeKalb counties believe a weekend fire was caused by a fleet of flying saucers. Authorities have no official explanation. The fire occurred on the William Ladd farm, and neighbors reported seeing a "wishbone-shaped object with flashing red and blue lights" hovering over the area before the fire. Unexplained sonic booms were also reported.

UFO reports keep police in Columbus, Akron hopping

This article from THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that police in Columbus and Akron, Ohio, were busy investigating UFO reports for the fourth consecutive night. Descriptions varied, but many callers were certain they saw not helicopters, planes, or balloons. Seven policemen in Akron reported seeing UFOs. A man in Uniontown reported an "unworldly" form landing on the hood of his car. Another reported seeing a cigar-shaped object with two red, glowing lights moving through the sky.

Skylab 2 crew reports seeing a UFO in space

This Associated Press report states that the Skylab 2 astronauts, in debriefing sessions, described seeing a mysterious reddish object in space. Dr. Owen K. Garriot said the object was brighter than planets, had a reddish hue, and was not more than 30 to 50 nautical miles from the spacecraft. The astronauts saw it in mid-September.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the widespread nature of UFO sightings across the United States, the variety of reported object shapes and behaviors, and the persistent belief among many witnesses that these phenomena are intelligently directed and of extraterrestrial origin. The articles present eyewitness accounts with a degree of seriousness, often quoting authorities or experts who either lend credibility to the reports or express cautious skepticism. The overall stance appears to be one of documenting these events and the public's reaction to them, rather than outright dismissal or definitive confirmation of alien visitation.