Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2000)
Page 6 NEWS THE BATTALION JL Wednesday,July!!' • Listen) ;or details i qualit Inmate on suicide watch Condemned killer attempted to kill self before execution HUNTSVILLE (AP) — A con demned Texas inmate set for execution Wednesday evening was under close scrutiny by prison officials after a weekend attempt to kill himself. Juan Soria, 33, faced lethal injec tion for fatally stabbing a Fort Worth teen-ager in 1985 so he could steal the victim's car. Soria, with a history of self-mutila tion and repeated suicide attempts in recent years, nearly severed the hand of a prison minister in a razor attack on death row in June. Details of the most recent suicide at tempt were not immediately known al though Soria's attorney said his client had tried to kill himself. "He is back on suicide watch," said Larry Fitzgerald, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson. Since the attack last month on the prison chaplain, Soria has been held at a prison medical unit where he has been under doctor's care. He met with relatives over the weekend and was moved Tuesday to the Terrell Unit, which houses death row inmates, to meet with his lawyer. "I think the guy is mentally ill," said Bill Harris, Soria's attorney. "I don't know the extent. Of course, there's a distinction between being mentally ill and being competent to be executed. "You've really got to be pretty profoundly mentally ill, and you have to have people to believe that you legitimately don't know you're going to be executed, or that it's im- “Of course, there's a distinction be tween being men tally ill and being competent to be executed” — Bill Harris Juan Soria's attorney minent or why you're being execut ed. You can be pretty sick and still know those three things." The U.S. Supreme Court was con sidering a request to review his case. Attorneys contended there were prob lems with jury selection at his trial. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, on an 18-0 vote, refused a clemency petition. Harris said he had no plans to ; seek a 30-day reprieve from Gov. George W. Bush, who by law can is sue such a reprieve once. "I don't expect he would grant it," he said. "And at this juncture, I don't see the justification for it. Thirty days is great if you have something to do with the 30 days." Soria's lethal injection would be the second this month and 26th this year in Texas. At least six executions are scheduled for August. The Texas Court of Criminal Ap peals in 1994 reduced Soria's sentence to life, saying the trial jury had insuffi cient evidence to decide one of the questions required for a death sentence: that Soria was a continuing threat to so ciety. Prosecutots, however, appealed the ruling and two years later the court reinstated the death sentence. Soria was condemned for killing Allen Bolden, 17, who worked at the Fort Worth Boys Club which Soria fre- quented. Soria, 18 at the time, and a companion, Mike Lagunas, then 19, hitched a ride with Bolden, then pulled a gun on the victim and forced him to drive to a secluded area. Court records showed Lagunas knocked him out by striking him with a rock and Soria killed him with a pair of knife thrusts to the back of his neck. Men court-martialed for assault WICHITA FALLS (AP) — A Sheppard Air Force Base trainee is accused of assaulting two Midwestern State University students in this Northwest Texas city. Airman 1st Class Maurice A. Longsworth, a technical training student assigned to the 362nd Training Squadron, is charged with assault and wrongful use of controlled substances under the Uniform Code of Mili tary Justice. General court-martial proceedings were scheduled to start Tuesday for Longsworth. He is accused of assault ing Japanese college students Yuro Ueda, 20, and Aya Ito, 19, on MSU's campus on May 25, according to the Wi chita Falls Times Record News' editions Tuesday. The victims contend that Longsworth and Tyrone L. Wilkinson, also of the 362nd Training Squadron, attacked them around 1 a.m. as they were talking by the univer sity's fountain. • Since the attack, Longsworth and Wilkinson have been in military pretrial confinement at a Fort Sill, Okla., correctional facility. If convicted, Longsworth faces up to 20 years in the military prison system. Wilkinson's trial date has not yet been scheduled. Barrel racin’ • Che Japst hutd Local Bryan/College Station resident Cathy Colby, makes her last turn during the barrel race at the# annual Texas Fire School Shriner's Benefit Barrel Race and Team Roping Cheney Continued from Page 1 number of candidates, including for mer Senate George Mitchell of Maine, Florida Sen. Bob Graham and Massa chusetts Sen. John Kerry. Among the GOP stalwarts in ad dition to Hagel and Frist who had been under consideration: Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma, Ridge and Pataki; former Gov. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee; and Rep. John Kasich of Ohio. Former Missouri Sen. John Dan- forth lingered on tht^ short list until the end but came up short despite the advantage of hailing from a battle ground state. Cheney changed his voting regis tration from Texas to Wyoming last week to get around a constitutional problem that arises when both mem bers of a presidential ticket live in the same state. All signs had pointed toChf:| for days. He told business assodi he had a good chance of getting job and leaving his company,H| liburton Co. of Dallas; and he warded an all-clear health rei from his doctors to Bush. lover whether mpany is viola The hearing w Idnesday. ^Napster worh Cheney sold nearly half his intet Ip 0 i n ti n g user: in Halliburton stock — somel shares — last month, raisingane |downloaded, mated$5.1 million. Beforethesale,(lI itself in a li eney held options on 229,000share- France Continued from Page 1 v th a software iisic piracy sin The dispute It started rolling over and backsliding down to fetched. Heavy ground. At that point it was probably two miles from me Jsbeenparticul he told CNN. "It was a sickening sight, just a huge fi rushed to the scene. Hours after the crash, huge clouds of smoke continued to billow over a nearby wheat field, and an acrid smell filled the air. Sid Hare, a Federal Express pilot who was at a hotel sev eral miles from the airport, said the plane went down in a ball of fire. He said he could "see smoke trailing" from one of the plane's two left engines before the crash. Jospin and French Transport Minister Jean-CUifr, but many ar Gayssot visited the scene of the crash Tuesday aftemoo: "It's a terrible moment," Gayssot said. An official at Peter Deilmann Shipping in the Germancit of Neustadt said the passengers came from variousGermai states and met in Paris to fly together for the cruise atari the MS Deutschland, which is anchored in New York. 3AN FRANClf the small com met and digit. Ionize music dis ith warrant sigr he Recording America (RIA/ jy injunction tl pster out of bi tipster, Other ar The company list among youn; vengeance, bul mgressional he; derable angst in See Till TUHTUmCO (UHONKLB j f-teAD eVObjTiotilST, Joe TH6 i-JMK (N AN UN6XFg£T£D LOCfCCo^- U)a£t PidtUff blfM BY J. G0LDFLUTE C- & f f £ t « a "Scat Savant V*\ ci uke-X'ir r r\ y\ Ck « • * (TAAls cxA O fS"h : V «a C ca. \ p Cnv-sl/'vVs 1 \ 2- N/ow W k cpr >_S <xU S QslapofV ( 1 K<jvK>„ l o , Tk<e. : JScKv'e. eC- •fo p ocT'fe <r p<x r cr-.t's, \^cv.v€_ QUEEN BEA BY NOTORIOUS L.I.B. Summit Continued from Page 1 interview with APTN that he hoped peace talks would continue because "the alternatives to a peace agree ment are very ugly." Rahman said he hoped Clinton's efforts would not be wasted. "It's al ways useful to engage in negotia tions," he said. It had become clear earlier in the day that no serious headway was in sight de spite an offer by Barak to Arafat to rec ognize some sort of Palestinian sover eignty in east Jerusalem. Clinton credited both sides with seeking a compromise on the city's fu ture, but appeared to suggest Barak took bolder steps. "The Palestinians changed their po sition, they moved forward," he said, lifting the veil of secrecy he had im posed on the details of the negotia tions. "The Israelis moved more." At another point, the president said "Prime Minister Barak showed courage and vision" and Arafat "made clear he remains committed to peace." Palestinian sources said the break ing point was Israel's refusal to recog nize Palestinian sovereigny over Miss Texas Continued from Page 1 contestants in the second-largest state pageant. An extensive package, in cluding over $100,000 in cash and prizes, is presented to the winner. "Included in the package I re ceived is a Ford Mustang," Krueger said. "I seem to get a lot of attention here in College Station from people who recognize the car." A contestant in the last two Miss Texas pageants, Lana Wright, a se nior agribusiness major, represented South-Central Texas in the 2001 show. In last year's pageant, Wright won the swimsuit portion of the con test. Wright said each contestant be gins the competition with a three- minute interview with each of the eight judges. Contestants are then judged on their poise and presence on-stage during the evening gown and swimsuit competitions. . "Kandace is a very sweet girl," Wright said. "I met her last year Jerusalem's walled Old City, only access to the A1 Aqsa mosque,the third-holist sitx in Islm. Arafatwasin- furiated,the sources said Rahman said Israel's offeroflimit- ed sovereignty was unacceptableanl a "nonstarter." He said the Palestinian had insisted on sovereignty overall the Old City. 'Israel refused to accept therigi on fees will res of the Palestinian people to havesoi ereignty over east Jerusalmandth lajor, said he v Muslim holy places," he said. "Regarding the issue of Jerusalet tudents. "I think if th as with other issues, the Palestinia' did not change their positions durif ion system be the discussions, so there was no chat he prices of fi of arriving at an agreement," saidGpudent will uli Chi Th Some Texas !rned an increa Adam Parke ie cost increa; Baltiansky, a spokesperson for Baralsible to balanc At 3 a.m. Tuesday, Arafatsental forced to pay ter to Clinton, saying hesawnopeftrker said, in continuing because the Israeli pfL However, C, tion on Jerusalem could never lealffictor of trans an agreement, Palestinian sources si the burden of h "If you ask me did they m< ppssed on to th enough progress to get this do 1 "The fuel v 'yes,' " Clinton said. "But they've* to go home and check, they've feel around. "I feel that we have the eleiw here to keep this process going, think it can happen," Clinton said. A& ' P a 8 eal,: through a mutual friend, and I a' so excited for her that she won.S deserved it." With the honor of being crown Miss Texas come the additional sponsibilities and obligations. Krueger said her duties over next year will consist of speaking various charitable events and moting the sponsors of the Needing only 13 hours to earn her f gree, Krueger plans to take the year* from school, enabling her to focus 1 the duties of her position. "By taking a year off from sch 1 I feel I will be in a better position 1 dedicate myself to my reig 11 Krueger said. "I don't feel would be able to share timebetvv :ft my academics and the obligate en titled to Miss Texas without sat ficing the effort that each desef My public relations representat schedules appearances across state for me to speak to charitie: other organizations, and my ule has to be flexible with it." ^ had 1 sek exc GALVI i hot nigl ihip mad rom the C Galveston The v been wasloadc smuggler oots, un the latest The m members they cam federate ] because known fc bars and Only : from she ship — c — scrap* bar and s The c smaller l Peninsul