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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1983)
Page 4/The Battalion/Tuesday, October 4,1983 High Court denies request to stay Autry’s execution Astronaut’s kid Using Son of first black space flier is United Press International WASH I NC.TON — The Sup reme Court Monday cleared the way for the execution of conde mned killer James David Autry for the murder of a Texas groc ery store clerk. He is scheduled to die Wednesday by lethal injec tion. The court voted 5-4 to deny a request to halt the execution, with Justices Thurgood Mar shall and William Brennan cast ing their traditional vote oppos ing the death sentence as “in all circumstances cruel and un usual punishment.” Joining Brennan and Mar shall were Justices John Paul Stevens and Harry Blackmun. Autry now has three alterna tives: he can ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision, try to get a Texas federal judge to halt the execution of ask Gov. Mark White to halt it. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE REUNION BARBECUE Saturday, October 8, 1983 Three Hours before University of Houston Game New Animal Science Pavilion (on Jersey Street West of Horse Center) Tickets available in Dean's Office or from NAMA members NATIONAL AGRI-MARKETING ASSOCIATION ■■ As Attorney" General last year, White refused a request to halt the execution of Charlie Brooks Jr., 40, the first Texas prisoner executed in 18 years and the first in the nation to be killed by lethal injection. Autry would become the 9th man executed in the nation since 1976 when the Supreme Court approved the use of the death penalty and the second man in the nation to die by lethal injec tion. He is scheduled to die Wednesday morning at 12:01 in Huntsville at the Walls unit of the Texas Department of Cor rections — the same place where Brooks was executed. This is the third time Autry has faced an execution date. Each previous time, stays of ex ecution were issued by appeals courts to give them time to re view the case. Autry was convicted and sentenced to death for murder ing Shirley Drouet, 43 and a mother of five, at a Sak-n-Pak grocery store in Port Arthur on the evening of Oct. 9, 1980. Au try has maintained his inno cence. His conviction and sentence were upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin and a request tor the Supreme Court to review that decision was denied last year. Both the U.S. District Court in Texas and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected furth er pleas and Autry has asked the Supreme Court again the review his case. Prosecutors said Autry, one of six children whose parents were divorced when he was young, entered the store to steal a six-pack of beer. Also killed in the robbery was Joseph Broussard, 43, of Port Arthur. Seaman Athanasius Svarnas, 30, of Lithohoron, Greece, was crippled. Autry has not been tried in those shoot ings. Autry had been previously convicted of burglary in Potter County in 1976 on which he served four years of an eight- year sentence. He also served 30 months of a five-year sentence for an assault conviction. Autry came within two days of execution last December when a federal judge granted him, a temporary reprieve. He had been scheduled to die on Dec. 17 and again on Feb. 21, but both executions were block ed by courts. PROBLEM PREGNANCY Are you considering Abortion? Confidential Free Pregnancy Testing & Referrals Call (713) 524-0548 Houston, Texas by Michael Piwonka Battalion Reporter How would it feel to have a dad who’s an astronaut? How would it feel to have a dad who’s the first black astronaut? Guion Stewart Bluford III, a sophomore computer science major at Texas A&M, knows the feeling, but he would rather keep it to himself. Bluford says he would like to keep the fact that he is the son of Lt. Col. Guion S. Bluford II “low-keyed.” The elder Bluford became the first black to travel in space when he took part in the latest space shuttle mission. The younger Bluford, who goes by the name Stewart, says lie doesn’t want everyone to bother him because it makes it difficult to get things done. “I just don’t want people bug ging me when I go to class," Blu ford says. “It can be annoying.” But he says he hasn’t had too much of a problem with that yet. “People who know me don’t say much about it because they know it bothers me,” he says. Even though he plays down the fact, the younger Bluford is proud of his father’s accom plishment, and says it’s a big step for blacks everywhere. “It proves we can do anything anybody else can do,” he says. Bluford adds that he never thought there were any differ ences between blacks and whites, but many people do. It is important to show those people, he says. On the issue of Sally Ride being the first American woman . ^’•4/ : *+'- m mm "mm* <3 by Chappelle Battalion F While some l jvolve sitting in I waiting for son ling to happen i I this wasn’t theca Iday or Friday gineering 315. A device u J world countries ■ mud and day i [being used in th [develop a strong [able brick. “Lots of place [have used this Leonard D. W< professor ofcivi said. staff photo by Cn> Guion Stewart Bluford III, son of Lt Col. Guion S. Bluford II, the firsi black astronaut. in space, Bluford simply says, “I think it’s great." The elder Bluford received his bachelor’s degree in aertts- pace engineering from Pennsyl vania State University anti his master’s and doctorate in aeros pace from the Air Force Insti tute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. Bluford says his father looks upon the space mission as just being a job. It’s not unlike being a prof essor at Texas All says. However, Bluford sj mother and brother are about having an astronam family. But when asked if li would like to be an asir: the younger Bluford» doesn’t have time to thinl; it. “Right now alH’mtryiii| is get through college,” The CINVA traduced in 195! American Hous ning Center in ombia, to aid countries by material strong build with, Web nmate Pri Insolvent bank reopen United Press Inti WASHINGTON me Court Mond; United Press International ODESSA — Customers at the former National Bank of Odessa were treated to cake and bal- A. BARTLETT loons Monday during the bank’s reopening as First State Bank of Odessa, a new subsidiary of in dependent Bankshares Inc. of Abilene. Acting bank president Brad Stephens said he planned for the bank to start out fresh, adding it would make energy loans. Bankshares is a holding company that owns First State Bank of Abilene. Jin stand allowin lawyer” Allen Lar ^damages from a 1 Biployee for hara: lough it failed to businesses during the l 1 L e f rom fifing la boom that crashed in 198 I the rapid decline of oil pi | The high com Texas Banking Cornu (Leans Lamar, a er William Aldridge said onvicted thief who tors of the failed banka«5-year sentence tically frecame depositors by assault, will retur State Bank of Odessa wA magistrate com FD1C transaction. FDIC spokesman All igtime Texas De] Unpaid loans to oil and natu ral gas drilling companies were said to be the main reason for the financial failure of National Bank, which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation closed Friday. ney said the assumption posits by the new bank® the need for a payoff failed hank’s accounts, Whitney added it al» vented possible losses tod tors with accountsabovtts \\ to federal custo erally-insured limit of p ling in a case w dama] irrections empl thur Steele. Lamar was releas petal prison in L< n„ 12 days ago, nBoyd said. He v T he bank had deposits of $77 million and about 18,()()() accounts, officials said. NBO re ported nearly a $19 million loss for the first six months of 1983. The Odessa bank ® second Permian Basing fail within three State Banking Board Metro Bank of f vent in late July. weeping reform oi ixas prison systen Odessa is in the energy-rich Permian Basin area of West Texas. Many loans were made to oil exploration and producing Steele, now an a: |n at the TDC dia| [s a building maji lis Unit in Hunt Jmar filed the law I a favorable magi The Midland bank mi[l llngln 198 °- the following Mondaywii owners operating name of Mid-Cities Ni| Bank. ILamar, known as ] an L ^ “j a ilhouse use he frequenth f s and writs i„ b e f * SOners - contenc OCTOBER FASHION SALE VERY SPECIAL SELECTIONS OF GI A M A IT I SHIRTS, BLOUSES SWEATERS PANTS, SKIRTS COORDINATES DRESSES COATS The Role of the Federal Government in Higher Education The E. L Miller Lecture 8 P.M., Wednesday, October 5 Rudder Theater O OFF LIMITED TIME ONLY! i— University/Industry Relations 4 P.M., Tuesday, October 4 Room 204, Sterling C. Evans Library The Role of Athletics in Education 4 PM, Thursday, October 6 Room 204, Sterling C. Evans Library peck & PECK has yoi WAI Sample Pact at your colle Internatioru I Name_ ! FRE Sampl e "