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Show German Goncentra tion Gavnp Stony Slated For Book, Television Or Movies This is the first of three articles telling the story of Cato H. Persico, of Bountiful, who spent 30 months in a German Prison Camp for stealing food from the Nazis at the age of 12. Her true-lif- e book, television series or story is being prepared for a And thats what got Cato and Petie into trouble. FOR SEVERAL months they had limited success stealing from the farms and scrounging through the garbage cans. They were so near starvation that it was tempting to them when ottered by a Youth Group couple of friends to attend a party for the Hitler was where food and drink plentiful. We ate all we could and then stuffed food into our pockets to take home, she said. It didnt seem like stealing because the food would just go to waste. BUT AS THEY walked outside, they spotted their two friends at them. talking to the Nazi SS troops and pointing a finger a van into loaded and along arrested were Seconds later, they with scores of other children and adults. camp. CATOS STRUGGLE for survival began in 1943 when she was arrested by the Nazi as she and her brother attempted to steal food from a party they had attended for the Hitler Youth Group in their hometown of Amsterdam. For the next 20 months she lived in horror, in almost unbelievable conditions. Separated from her brother at the prison camp, she was alone, scared and for the entire time near death from starvation. full-leng- th movie. By GARY R. BLODGETT Clipper News Editor BOUNTIFUL - It was 40 years ago, but Cato H. (Toni) Persico, of Bountiful, can still vividly remember World War nd the 20 months she spent in a German Concentration Camp. CATO RELATES how it all started midway through the war when her father and older brother were forced to fight for the Germans, leaving Cato and her brother to provide for themselves and their mother. Food, which consisted primarily of bread and potatoes, was strictly rationed allowing barely enough per family to survive. -- II-a- TONI WAS only a child at the time, 12 going on 13, she says, when she was hauled from her homeland of Holland and forced to work in Nordhausen Prison Camp in Eastern Germany. She was brutally beaten and nearly starved to death, but managed to hang on until August of 1945 when the U.S. Army arrived and freed her and hundreds of other children, including her brother, Petie, and several friends she had made in to be CATO AND Petie had attended the party pretendingNeither other the girls. of deaf and dumb nephew and niece avoid could speak or understand German and had to someway speaking at the party. They had not told their mother of the party, knowing she would not have let them go. Thus, when arrested by the Nazi there was no way of informing her of their whereabouts. For nearly two years their mother never knew of the fate of her children. WE WERE always hungry, even to the point of starving, remembers Cato. After father left for the war, it didnt take Petie and 1 long to learn how to steal food either from our rich neighbors or from the Germans. - boat with CATO AND PETIE are loaded onto a trip to Germany. During about 300 other children for a three-da- y this time, dysentary and typhoid break out, making the conditions deplorable. Children were dying every few minutes and in just three days nearly 100 of the 300 children had died and their bodies tossed overboard, said Cato. flat-botto- m ',,4 i it ' ? ' 4 I ON THE BOAT she meets a Jewish girl about her own age, named Rosie, and they quickly became good friends and were able to suffer through the deplorable conditions. Shortly after arriving in Germany, and before being sent to the concentration camp, Cato is severely injured during an air raid when a piece of shrapnel rips into her leg, causing profuse bleeding. A GERMAN Doctor sees Cato and wants to help her, but Cato wants no help from the doctor and viciously attacks bim. Next Week: Cato is loaded into a boxcar and shipped to Nordhausen Concentration Camp. She tells a few of the gruesome experiences before being rescued by the U.S. Army 20 months later. 4 ' v si. 'JT '.f-- s , .TH.T A v A v i "S'- - - Ss,, X AV a A& s sc- &kf &A .s A s 'K ' Xv ? tamnwA. v , ... J vA CAMP SCENE frUUflUiv fHf Cato (Toni) Persico holds her daughter Louisa, for filming of audition for TV series or movie from the titleRole? ClTfl3oF NordhauseftT the true-lif- e story of Cato who served SO months in German Concentration Camp during World War II. j - if' .yw Ofy ' XV cfcrtefcNfctvS ' v s K $ ' LOUISA PERSICO CATO H. PERSICO Davis To Investigate Allegations He said there are many d problems at the shelter, including excessive cruelty to animals, starving of animals, not keeping the center clean, and putting animals to sleep without waiting for due time as prescribed by policy and procedure. THE BUDGET is not so tight but what the animals cannot be fed regularly, said Mr. Everett. But many times I went into the shelter to find animals starving and cats crammed into one small quarter. Pens were filthy and there didnt seem to be any concern for the care of the animals. He added that when he told the supervisor (Mr. Evans) about the problems, he was told to mind my own business and keep my mouth shut. deep-roote- By GARY R. BLODGETT Clipper News Editor FRUIT HEIGHTS - Resignation of an employee of the Davis County Animal Control Shelter here has brought allegations against the supervisor and criticism of procedures. -- MEANWHILE, COUNTY Com. Harold Tippetts has asked the Sheriff s Department for a thorough investigation of the allegations and the procedures used at the shelter. "Im aware that there are problems at the shelter, but just how severe these problems might be I dont know, said Com. Tippetts. HE STATED the allegations against Supervisor Noal Evans include improper use of county equipment, cruelty to animals, violation of shelter procedures, and being absent from his job excessively. We are looking into these and other complaints, but nothing can be made public until the investigation is completed, probably within the next few weeks, the commissioner said. MICHAEL Everett, 30, of Roy, resigned from the animal control department June 20 after "fighting an uphill, but losing battle to get things done at the center. ported by Lynn Bradak and Janet Huish. The complaintant said he quit his job on June 20 after blowing my stack several times because of no feed or water for a goat I had picked up and brought to the shelter. ANOTHER WOMAN, Karen Christensen, who worked for six months as animal control officer for Bountiful, told the commission she has a diary of wrongdoings and is willing to tell all. Fair Judge Training Scheduled r IT REACHED a climax, he said, when he was taking pictures of the conditions in the shelter and was caught by the supervisor who warned him again to mind his own business or he would be in deep trouble. Mr. Everett said others who had worked at the shelter as well as citizens who are aware of the problems are willing to testify about their experiences. He said these experiences also include deficient record keeping and disappearance of animals records. f MR. EVERETTS allegations to the commissioner were sup Do you want to have a new experience this summer? Did you ever think it would be fun to taste all the cookies at the fair? Then why not learn to be a fair judge? A FAIR judges training is scheduled for Tuesday, July 10 at 10 a.m. at the Utah State University Extension Office, 50 E. State Street, Farmington. The training will include sessions on judging foods, clothing, and miscellaneous projects. The foods training miscellaneous and crafts, furniture, clothing from 10-1- 1; will run from projects (arts etc.) from 1 -2 p.m. COME AND learn all the ins and' outs of fair judging. We will be judging the Box Elder County Fair on Aug. 22. You can be the judge. Davis D UIs: No More Plea E argairnwg By TOM BUSSELBERG North County Editor - FARMINGTON Plea bargainfor drunk driving misdemeanor charges could become a thing of the past in Davis County. ing THATS THE intention of County Attorney Loren Martin, who announced at the weekend that effective last Sunday, plea bargaining on all drunk driving cases would be eliminated. A change of the charge shall be based only upon consideration of facts of the incident and not upon personal history, background or impact the decision may have on the defendants future, states. the new DUI policy Plea bargaining, or agreeing to a lesser charge, possibly in exchange for information, often has resulted in misdemeanor DUI cases being lessened to wreckless driving, for instance, Mr. Martin told a press r action conference. THE d county in office only two attorney, months, called the decision a first in the country for a prosecutors office and issued a challenge others should follow or give the Legislature an explanation why they cant. U.S. Rep. James Hansen, spearheaded the action on a national level. Hes a member of the National Commission on Drunk NEWLY-appointe- h, Drivers. Referring to plea bargaining as a convenience, he said I couldn't stand here if I didnt think we could do it, in implementing the policy. in SHERIFF Brant Johnson, also a member of the Governors Council of Drinking Drivers, emphasized theres no question in my mind of the publics great expectation for a crackdown after the DUI law enacted a year ago. He called the a great step forward while Major Ivan Orr, Utah Highway Patrol field bureau chief, said the move was a very positive decision. Mr. Martin said his office handles 30-4- 0 DUI cases a month, referred from circuit or justice of the not guilty peace court-seeki- ng pleas and added that wouldnt include other cases. OFFENDERS are supposed to spend at least two days in jail thats done before, he added, citing 30 percent of DUI cases are involving plea bargaining. AND OF those, probably 20-3- 0 percent were cases where the blood alcohol level was near the minimum. When you get tests right near, juries are reluctant to convict, Mr. Page said further, adding, the countys always been strict on DUIs. DUI arrests by the Sheriffs office went from 117 in 1979 and only 00 in 98 to 223 last year and 0 this year. he anticipates not always happening,' Sheriff Johnson said, indicating the great influx he anticipated after the laws passage hasnt happened. He called it a weakness STRESSING public awarein the system between a suspects ness as the key vs. how many arrest and court procedings. Who fines or arrests can be made, Mr. knows how many are convicted in Johnson said several roadblocks the original charge? he con- staged this year have been "very tinued. successful," citing 13 arrests from Its a good idea if it works," one roadblock. People are very Judge Page said in a telephone infearful, now, thanks to such acterview. I dont think it will make tion, he added. much difference from what weve A Time Accounting" system 1 1 1 250-30- was to be implemented last Monday, Mr. Martin indicated, adding, I think we have the capability to do it (work load) without adding any funds. THE COUNTY commission is the attorney very' interested, said, adding the Legislature has provided funds, coupled with extra beer tax monies approved previously by the lawmakers. Major Orr emphasized, however that you need to keep the charge separate from the prosecution but added, I see it as something we ought to be doing. The goal is a reduction in accidents, injuries and deaths. A REVIEW will be made within six months, Mr. Martin said, indicating the change has been in the works about two months, or since he took over from Rodney Page, now a 2nd district court judge. Asked if plea bargaining would be thrown out for other sorts of cases, Mr. Martin said well go one step at a time but called it a further plus if a person charged with an offense realizes its fair in handling. IF IT cant be done because of court congestion or some other reason we intend to find out, the attorney added, noting, the time for guessing is long past. The people and the Legislature must know if the system can produce. Under d DUI procedures to be followed by the county attorneys office, if neither the county attorney nor chief criminal deputy are available to make an urgent decision prior to trial or at time of trial, the matter shall not be compromised but shall proceed. newly-drafte- IT ADDS that reports of every case are to be made listing significant strengths and weaknesses to be evaluated by the county attorney. |
