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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1977)
The Battalion Weather Wednesday, August 17, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 Partly cloudy and hot today with south-southeasterly winds 8-12 mph. High today and tomorrow in the upper 90s; low tonight mid-70s. Increasing cloudiness tomorrow with scattered showers and thun dershowers. Berkowitz enters plea of innocent to all charges It takes two to tango ■gmeering Technology Senior, Jeffrey Mullowney of Tyler, i., left, assists Engineering Technology junior, Phillip M. j( Jman, of Poth, Tx., in the operation of a vertical drill press located in 1 T Metal Technology Laboratory on the Texas A&M campus. United Press International NEW YORK — Lawyers for David Ber kowitz, the accused “Son of Sam,” plan to rely on a defense of insanity, if their client ever goes on trial for the murder of Stacy Moskowitz, the last victim of the .44- caliber killer. The 24-year-old postal worker, his hands manacled, was taken from his bare cell at a Brooklyn hospital to a nearby courthouse yesterday for his arraignment, where he pleaded innocent to charges of killing Miss Moskowitz and virtually blind ing her date. Berkowitz entered a simple innocent plea to the charges, but his lawyers said the plea will probably be modified to in nocent by reason of insanity later. If con victed on all counts, Berkowitz could draw 25 years to life in prison. For his own safety, Berkowitz was taken to court in an armored van surrounded by seven prowl cars and watched from the sky by a police helicopter. Forty policemen, some armed with shotguns, perched on rooftops and stood on sidewalks around the courthouse. Courtroom visitors had to pass through metal detectors. “We had him rolled up tighter than a sardine, said one court attendant. Berkowitz, who was smiling almost be nignly when he was arrested last Wednes day night, wore a blank look as he entered the courtroom. Eight armed guards sur rounded him and scanned the crowd. The defendant said little during the hearing, speaking only when asked. He seemed oblivous to the guards, reporters and, most of all, the growing number of bizarre and occasionally tawdry facets of his case. There is the question of whether Ber kowitz can ever get a fair trial because of overwhelming news coverage, and whether he is psychologically competent to stand trial. A psychiatric report is due Aug. 30. The family of Miss Moskowitz, mean while, filed a $10 million lawsuit in Yon kers, N.Y., where Berkowitz lived, charg ing police there with negligence for failing to follow up “certain leads” that would have led sooner to his capture. On another front, one defense lawyer is under investigation for reportedly trying to sell taped conversations with his client to two New York newspapers for up to $100,000. Opportunistic merchants are peddling “Son of Sam” memorabilia — including Sam T-shirts — and lawyers contacted by reporters about interviews about the sus pect begin the conversations by taking bids on information. At the arraignment, defense lawyer Mark Heller entered the innocent plea to one count of second-degree murder for the slaying of Miss Moskowitz; attempted second-degree murder for her date, Robert Violante; and one count each of felonious assault and weapons possession. Berkowitz, who was indicted Monday in the Moskowitz attack July 31, still could be indicted on similar charges this week in the New York boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, the scenes of previous ambushes by the .44-caliber killer. As police clamped down on the official flow of information, there were rafts of new reports and rumors. In suburban Westchester County, au thorities quoted Berkowitz as saying he shot an elderly woman in Yonkers with a .45-caliber semi-automatic rifle earlier this year, but they could find no evidence to confirm it. The New York Daily News reported today that Berkowitz told police he stab bed a young woman in the Bronx in 1975. When police qustioned the woman at the time, she reportedly gave them a descrip tion of an attacker which fit Berkowitz “very closely.” Brezhnev willing to work for better U.S. relations United Press International MOSCOW — President Leonid Brezhnev, in a direct answer to President Carter’s calls for warmer U.S.-Soviet rela tions, says he “will willingly look for mutually acceptable solutions” if Carter is serious. “I would like to stress one thing now,” Brezhnev said last night. “If a good initia tive appears anywhere, we are always ready to respond to it.” His remarks at a dinner for visiting Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito came less than a month after Carter’s July 21 speech in Charleston, S.C., in which Car ter called for U.S.-Soviet agreement on strengthening world peace. In that speech. Carter called for “be- Elvis Presley dies of "erratic heartbeat’ United Press International P IPHIS, Tenn. — Elvis Presley, jelvis became part of the sensuous that made him a rock ‘n’ roll Ifor a generation, died of an “erratic lat” yesterday in the 18-room man- |ere he lived as a virtual hermit. »dy of the 42-year-old singer was ace down on the bathroom floor of ind by his road manager, Joe Es- at 2:30 p.m., but doctors said he ave been dead since 9 a.m. erry Francisco, the Shelby County examiner, said an autopsy indi- fesley died of “cardiac arrythmia, ” le described as a “severely irregu- rtbeat. ’ precise cause of death may never overed,” said Francisco, who per formed the autopsy on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. Presley suffered from high blood pres sure and “some coronary artery disease,” Francisco said, and these two diseases could have been responsible for the car diac arrythmia. Funeral home spokesman Jim Stewart said Presley’s body would be taken to his Graceland Mansion sometime today where the public will be able to view it from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Private services have been scheduled by the family for 2 p.m. Thursday at Graceland. Burial will be at Forest Hills Cemetery where Presley’s mother is buried. Stewart said the body will be arter efforts focus i foreign relations buried in a seamless, solid copper casket and placed in a mausoleum. Both Francisco and Dr. George Nichopoulos, Presley’s personal physi cian, said there were no traces of drugs other than the medicine the singer was taking for hypertension and a colon prob lem. Presley, who catapulted to fame and fabulous wealth in the 1950s with such hits as “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel, ” had visited a dentist Monday night and returned to Graceland to play racquet ball with members of his entourage until 6 a.m. yesterday. Esposito found him yesterday after noon, lying fully clothed on a bathroom floor. “He was lying on his face on the floor,” said Nichopoulos. “The people in the house with him were asleep and were not aware that anything abnormal had trans pired. ” However, when Esposito sounded the alarm, the mansion became a scene of “to tal confusion,” the doctor said. “Everyone was running around trying to call an ambu lance. Esposito tried to give Presley mouth- to-mouth resuscitation and Nichopoulos took over when he arrived at 2:35 p.m. “I am sure he was dead at that time, but we continued resuscitation because his pupils were small, ” Nichopoulos said, add ing that a dying person’s pupils usually di late. During the seven-minute trip by ambu lance to Baptist Hospital, two technicians tried to revive Presley with a cardiopul monary resuscitation machine. “There was no response,” said Charlie Crosby, one of the technicians. A team of doctors at the hospital continued the effort but gave up at 3:30 p.m. Nichopoulos returned to Graceland to United Press International MONT, Md. — President Car- sh from having won Gerald Ford’s Jt for the new Panama Canal accord, tlTwoday to the problem of U.S. rela- \ liith the two Chinas. ain farmers ive new plan crop surplus United Press International INGTON — Agriculture De nt officials yesterday announced a lich will allow grain farmers to keep F their holdover 1976 crops off the harvest-season market this fall, tction, which allows producers to price support loan maturity dates Oct. 31, “will give farmers the op- continuing to hold their grain in >f higher market prices, ” officials a statement. r the plan, growers holding 1976 ipport loans expiring at the end of nth and at the end of September if they choose to — extend the 'dates until Oct. 31. ending the loans gives farmers al time to decide on how to dis- the old grain and will keep it off ket during a period when prices lly at or close to seasonal lows, r the support loan program, farm- » crops as collateral for Agriculture ifttnent loans at rates based on an- support prices for the crops, le loan matures, 12 months after it 1, the farmer can pay off the loan his crop on the open market or he eit the grain to the government - p the loan money, als estimated the volume of 1976 ms due to expire in the period af- y the new move will be 17 million illion bushels of corn and other ains plus 56 million bushels, or more, of wheat. ntrast, this year’s crops are ex- :o have more than 2 billion bushels at and 6.1 billion bushels of corn. He planned to meet Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and National Security Ad viser Zbigniew Brzezinski at Camp David this afternoon. Vance leaves for China Saturday. On Monday, Sen. Edward M. Ken nedy, D-Mass., proposed that the Carter administration set the stage for resuming full diplomatic relations with China in 1978 while maintaining “unofficial rela tions” with Taiwan. Carter expressed similar hopes in a news conference several weeks ago. “My hope is that we can work out an agreement with the People’s Republic of China, having full diplomatic relations with them and still make sure that the peaceful lives of the Taiwanese, the Re public of China is maintained,” Carter said. Carter expressed appreciation for Ford’s endorsement of the treaties “so clearly important to our national interest and security.” Carter was in the third day of a seven- day “generally relaxing” stay at Camp David. He swam in the outdoor pool yesterday with his wife Rosalynn, who was described as “feeling just great after minor gynecological surgery at Bethesda Naval Hospital Monday. Carter also went bicy cling with their 9-year-old daughter, Amy. Powell said the National Security Coun cil is studying a report on the neutron bomb but it is not expected to reach Car ter for several days. “It’s going through a process and the President has not seen it yet,” he said. The neutron warheads, to be used an tactical weapons, kill people through radi ation, not blast or flame. It is, as Carter said in Yazoo City, Miss., “horrible.” In Yazoo City, Carter laid out the pros and cons. He said if the United States or an ally is invaded and American forces moved in, “you would not want to have flames and long-lasting radiation.” “The neutron bomb radiation is quick acting and it’s gone,” he said. The argument against the neutron bomb, he said, is that because it is “clean” there might be more temptation to use it. Tanzanian minister visits campus; talks with Miller Tanzanian Minister of Agriculture John Malecela says he had already acquired a healthy dose of “Aggie spirit” during the early part of his five-day visit here at Texas A&M University. His visit will include briefings on Texas A&M’s programs of range sci ence, agriculture, animal science, soil-crop science and agricultural economics. The university’s students and fac ulty also received a standing invita tion to visit Tanzania which was is sued during a meeting Monday morning between minister Malecela and Texas A&M President Jarvis Miller. President Miller spent several years overseas with the university’s international program. He recalled his trip to Tanzania in 1973, prompt ing an invitation from Minister Malecela to return for a longer visit along with a second invitation for the students and faculty to come and study or conduct research, par ticularly those involved in animal science. Minister Malecela noted that as a developing nation, Tanzania needed to overcome some problems to allow business diversification which would stimulate economic growth. One of these problems, which he noted could be overcome with help from U.S. universities, is the eradi cation of the tsetse fly which affects both man and beast in Central Af rica. President Miller cited Texas A&M’s activities conducted through its International Programs Office. One of the programs involves providing technical assistance to the Tanzania government in livestock marketing. Minister Malecela also visited Tanzanian students enrolled at Texas A&M. Tanzanian Minister of Agriculture John Malecela is wel comed to Texas A&M University by President Jarvis Miller. tell Presley’s father, Vernon, that his son was dead. Vernon broke the news to Pres ley’s only child, Lisa Marie, 9, the sing er’s daughter by his divorced wife, Pris cilla. Also at the mansion was Ginger Al- den, a 20-year-old Memphis beauty queen soon to be Presley’s second wife. As word of Presley’s death was flashed to the world, radio stations around the na tion began playing the singer’s records. Record shops, which in 22 years of the singer’s career sold 400 million Presley al bums, were jammed with buyers. Presley rose from poverty in his native Tupelo, Miss., and Memphis, where he cut grass and drove a truck to pay for the cutting of a record that eventually caught the ear of recording executives. He became a multimillionaire, but in recent years, he also became more and more reclusive, expressing fear of flying and of the press of his fans. He rarely left his Graceland mansion, even renting theaters and excluding all but a few per sonal friends whenever he wanted to see a Schedule set for delayed fall registration The fall schedule for Texas A&M Uni versity’s delayed registration, late regis tration and add-drops has been an nounced. Delayed registration begins Monday, Aug. 22, and will continue through Friday in G. Rollie White Coliseum, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except from noon to 1 p.m. All new students except freshmen can get card packets in the foyer of the Richard Coke Building during this period. Stu dents who were enrolled at Texas A&M during the spring semester may secure a card packet in their major department. After a student has secured a card packet, he must obtain a course request from his departmental registration ad visor. The student takes this to the col iseum to complete registration. Fees will be paid and a schedule secured the follow ing day in the exhibit hall of Rudder Cen ter. Late registration follows the same pro cedure as delayed registration and will run from Monday, August 29, through Friday. The drop-add period or change of regis tration will be on weekdays beginning Monday, Aug. 22. Students who wish to change their schedules must first get their departmental registration advisors to complete a schedule revision request. The student must take a schedule revi sion request to the drop-add headquarters in G. Rollie White Coliseum. A computer schedule must be presented with the re quest at this station. The student then will report to the drop-add headquarters after 8 a.m. the following day to pick up a re vised computer schedule. The last day for enrolling in the univer sity or adding new courses is Friday, Sept. 2. The last day for dropping classes with no record is Tuesday, Sept. 13. yond the cool calculations of mutual self- interest that our two countries bring to the negotiating table. ” “We are all familiar with the latest statements by President Carter,” Brezhnev said. “He speaks, in particular, ’ about the U.S. desirability of developing Soviet-U.S. relations in the interests of strengthening universal peace. “Compared with the previous moves by the U.S. administration,” Brezhnev said, “these statements sound positive. Well, if there is a wish to translate them into the language of practical deeds, we will willingly look for mutually acceptable so lutions.” But the conciliatory tone of his speech did not prevent Brezhnev from criticizing Carter’s decision to back production of cruise missiles and neutron bombs as the possible start of another round in the weapons race. Brezhnev also blamed “imperialist cir cles” for launching a “propaganda cam paign against Socialist countries” — an apparent reference to Carter’s human rights campaign. “The point is that the hostile campaign is used as a smoke screen for another round of the arms race,” the Soviet president said. Despite the “negative features” in cur rent U.S.-Soviet relations, Brezhnev said, “we do not hold at all that they alone de termine the situation in the world.” He said successful relations among states with different social systems is con stantly evident and pointed to the 1975 Helsinki pacts, signed by 35 nations, as an example of steadily improving world con ditions. Resources Board appoints Nemir acting director United Press International AUSTIN — Hugh C. Yantis and James M. Rose, both top candidates to head the state’s new super water agency, both lost yesterday. The Water Resources Development Board notified Yantis, longtime chief of the Texas Water Quality Board, and Rose, current Water Development Board direc tor, neither would head the agency. Instead, the board named Rose’s assis tant, Charles E. Nemir, to serve as acting director until the board agreed on a per manent selection for the $43,700-a-year job. This year the legislature voted to merge the Water Development Board, Water Quality Board and Water Rights Commis sion into one operation, effective Sept. 1. Rose, 56, told reporters he was offered a permanent $40,000-a-year post with the agency but declined it. He said he would instead start his own private business in the water development field. Yantis, 63, was on vacation. He issued a departure memo to his staff but did not indicate what he plans to do. The board approved a temporary $19.17 million budget for the agency for the fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, but indicated there may be changes in the spending plan. “It will be a beginning point for the new executive director,” one staff member said. “There’s adequate salaries to protect all the three agencies’ employes in the merger process.” Nemir, 45, is a former petroleum engi neer for Texaco and joined the Water De velopment Board in 1967. He was named assistant executive director in 1972. Yantis has been executive director of the Water Quality Board since the agency was created in 1967. Rose became execu tive director of the Water Development Board in 1976 after a three-year stint as special assistant, energy advisor and direc tor of planning coordination for Gov. Dolph Briscoe.