The Times from San Mateo, California • Page 19

Tuesdov, Aug. 26, 1975 TIMES Son Motto--19 Reputed Chief of Lending Firm Fraud Defendant Takes Stand in Own Defense David Kaplan, reputedly the head of an off-shore financial lending organization known as "Eurovest," took the stand in his own defense Monday at the fraud trial ofjormer state Sen. Richard Dolwig and six others. Kaplan, while expressing his expertise on financial matters involving millions of dollars at home and abroad, appeared reluctant to discuss Eurovest's organizational makeup under cross-examination by special U.S. Prosecutor Robert Breakstone.

Paul Mostman questioned his client from a chair, instead of standing at the podium as is the custom. U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti allowed Mostman to remain seated during the questioning because the Sherman Oaks attorney reportedly injured his back in a fall at the Federal Building cafeteria last Friday. Mostman is reportedly taking pain pills for the injury snd is strapped into a back brace. Kaplan told the court M.

Paul Heck, an Oakland developer who allegedly is a victim of a scheme to pay cash advances to obtain letters of credit for large sums of money, "didn't want his (J32.400) back he wanted letters of credit." On several occasions, Heck became violent in his demands and even threatened Kaplan's life, Kaplan testified. The reason Heck did not get the $2.5 million letter of credit he sought from Eruovest was because he had failed to tell the company about his "financial troubles," Kaplan said. The "financial troubles" Kaplan referred to dealt with Heck's filing for reorganization of his East Bay company under bankruptcy laws, it was brought out in earlier testimony. At one point in his dealings with Heck, Kaplan said he so feared for his life he made arrangements with Mrs. Beth Dolwig to pick him up from a Beverly Hills Hotel where he was staying, under the close scrutiny of Heck, and help him flee to urged Judge (Hugh DuVal to refund (Heck's) money," Kaplan said, "I just wanted out." DuVal is allegedly the president of Eurovest, having reportedly acquired the Grand Caymen Island-based company in February 1973, shortly before Kaplan underwent open heart surgery in Miami, DuVal denied he is the kingpin of Eurovest and said Kaplan and another defendant, David Gorwitz, are the "real" heads of the company! A total of some was taken as cash advances in a series of deals between Eurovest and various developers seeking letters of credit, the government has charged.

Sen. Dolwig, who acted as escrow agent for Eurovest in late 1974, received $3,000 on the Heck transaction, Kaplan said. The money was paid by Kaplan using his own funds, he said. "I felt it was a moral obligation (to pay Dolwig). not a legal one," Kaplan told the court under cross- 'examination.

"The same moral obligation I felt with (Paul) Heck Kaplan began to testify when he was interrupted by Breakstone. "I don't need your lectures, Mr. Kaplan," Breakstone responded. The case was expected to go to the jury by Thursday, Mostman predicted. County's Youths Playing Deadly New 'Game 9 NEW STUNT Youths are now playing with their own lives and traffic" on both the Cabrillo and Junipero Serra lives of motorists on state's freeways.

In the Freeways. At least three children have already North County, youths are trying to "beat the been slaughtered trying to take By FRANK LaPIERRE Kids today are playing a deadly new "game" on freeways in San Mateo County. a i i a i a Patrol officers are calling it "dodge 'em," for lack of a better name. Here's how it'splayed: Youngsters wait on the side of a freeway for a break in traffic traffic that is moving at upwards of 55 miles an hour and a i directly across the roadway." The more lanes that have to be crossed, the more fun, some children picked up by the CHP confess. A popular spot for this "sport," which is giving stout-hearted officers and motorists heart failure, is between the Serra Shopping Center in Colma and the Serramonte Shopping Center in Daly Citv.

Interstate 280' slices the center of these two shopping complexes. At this location there are eight fast-moving lanes of a i with a steel divider separating the north-south lanes. Youths that choose this Peninsula spot to cut across the freeway are "either too lazy to walk up to one of the two underpasses to go from one shopping area to another, or just plain stupid," CHP officer W. A. "Bill" Russell told The Times.

CHP officer Tim Donn i a "more people will be killed" on one of the two freeways that cut through Daly City "unless this stops i away." There a already been three deaths in the Junipero Serra-Cabrillo Freeway area in recent months. Last fall, three small girls decided to cut across the Freeway near the School Street overcross- ing in Daly City. It was shortly before 10 p.m. "Why they didn't walk across the School Street a less a a block away, is anybody's guess." an officer on the scene commented. Two girls ran across the freeway without mishap.

The third was struck by an estimated 16 cars and mangled. A motorist stopped his car on June 12, 1975 near the i i of Cabrillo and Junipero Serra freeways. He stepped out into the path of an oncoming car. a a fatally injured. Still another person i to cut across state Route 1 in Pacifica on the night of April 15, 1975.

He didn't make it. A car hit and killed him almost immediately, the CHP said. In 1974, there were 21 pedestrians killed and 303 i on San Mateo County roadways. Each year this figure seems to increase, Russell said. a been 20 young children boys and girls picked up trying to "beat the odds" on I a 280 and Bayshore Freeway in the past three months, Russell explained.

"When I say the odds are against the kids, I mean it. "If a car 'and pedestrian collide, the pedestrian will be the loser," Russell said. Burlingame Hears Noise Plan When a "noise element" of the Burlingame's general plan was given public hearing by the city planning commission Monday night, only one citizen commented. Mrs. Elinor Ragsdale, 1105 Oxford Road, wanted to know if the proposed new noise rules would do anything about barking dogs.

She was told the new set of rules, one of several packets of special planning elements required of California cities this year, would not attempt to immediately curb the chorusing canines. What it does do, the audience was told, is to set up guidelines by which noise annoyance can be measured, suggest steps which can be taken to reduce noise (more effective mufflers on city-owned machinery, for one thing) and suggest that Burlingame's major sources of noise irritation lie outside the city's jurisdiction to control. Those two main sources of ear irritants, said consultants from Earth Metrics of Palo Alto, are San Francisco International Airport and auto traffic passing through the city on Interstate 280, El Camino Real and Bavshore Freeway. In fact, said Dr. Michael Hogan of Earth Metrics, the noisiest spot in Burlingame is probably that area of Bayshore Freeway along a curve near the intersection of Trenton and Dwight roads.

According to noise measurements taken by the consultants, that area suffers a constant barrage of noise equalling 70 decibels of "Community Noise Equivalent Level." This measurement, abbreviated to CNEL. is a standard set up by the state in its aircraft noise law of 1968. The consultants said it requires three repeated noise' measurements at a given site, and calculations related to 24-hour average noise exposure. If Bayshore. and Dwight is the noisiest area, the quietest of five sites selected as "representative of Burlingame's noise sub- climates" was found near Abraham Lincoln school at Devereaux Drive and Balboa Avenue.

Measurements there indicated a community noise exposure level of 62 decibels. Hoping to get the new "noise element" adopted into the city's genera! plan before the state-imposed Sept. 20 deadline, planning commissioners both forwarded the inch-thick document to City Council members for act review, and held it over to their own next meeting for action. Young Pedestrian Dies On Bayshore Freeway A young, unidentified man died as he lay on the pavement of Bayshore Freeway early this morning despite the efforts of a California Highway Patrolman who gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in an attempt to save his life. Officer.

Michael Gotfried reported the man was struck by a southbound car south of Poplar Street and hurled through the air some 75 feet. He started breathing once, but died before the arrival of an ambulance. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Mills Hospital. According to Gotfried, he and his partner, Officer Charles Beach, spotted the man walking south in the fast traffic lane next to the center divider. They drove their northbound patrol car up to the Peninsula Avenue overpass to turn around, but before they could reach the man he was struck by an auto driven by Richard D.

Shull, 22, of Saratoga, who reported he had been talking with his sister, Kathy, 25, the man suddenly loomed in front of their car. The sister, near hysteria, leaped from the car and ran towards the officers, waving her arms and shouting, "My brother just hit The victim was described as Latin, about 20, 5-feet -7, 135 pounds and dressed 'in jeans, a dark blue pullover sweater and brown suede hiking boots. He had no identification. State Kills New FC Tax Relief Bill Another attempt to introduce legislation which would save the average Foster City homeowner more than $100 per year in taxes, has been killed by a state Assembly committee. Councilman Kiyoshi Mat- Chess Mark Two 17-year-old Portola Valley residents, starting at 9 a.m", last Wednesday, have claimed the world record for playing 123 hours of continuing chess.

The previous record, according to the Guiness Book of Records, was 122 hours. Steve Ullman and Rick McDonald quit at noon Monday after playing 179 games with 10,199 moves. They promised the $374 they raised to the American Cancer Society, suo disclosed at the Monday City Council meeting that the bill (AB 277) was defeated 4-3 last week by the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. The defeated measure sought to extend'the 1968 Homeowners Tax Exemption Bill to the yearly "assessments" Foster City homeowners pay for the reduction of some $80 million in municipal bonds sold to build city services for the growning community. The average Foster City homeowner pays about $375 each year for the eventual repayment of the $80 million ir, municipal bonds, expected to be completed sometime after the year 2000.

The Foster City tax relief bill, authored by Assemblyman Dixon Arnett, R-Redwood City, was first introduced a year and one- half ago and killed by an Assembly committee. The i was then revamped and reintroduced last February, only to be defeated a second time before reaching the Assembly floor. The bill was changed once again setting a maximum of S125 in tax relief under the measure for Foster City homeowners but defeated the third time last week. Matsuo told The Times today that Foster City officials have not given up and plan to reintroduce the tax exemption measure a fourth time possibly next January. The Homeowners Tax Exemption Bill is designed to give homeowners a cut in property taxes with the state reimbursing the cities and counties for the lost tax revenue.

The average Foster City homeowner already receives about a $200 yearly reduction taxes paid to the county gen- eral fund tax under the state measure. Matsuo argues, however, that Foster City residents still receive a smaller total tax break under the state legislation than residents of many neighboring cities. Foster City officials are a i to extend the Tax Exemption Bill to the "assessments" Foster City residents pay each year for the $80 million municipal bond debt. Matsuo noted that several other California cities have similar municipal bond taxes which have been declared eligible for inclusion in the Homeowners Tax Exemption Bill. Members of the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee indicated, however, that they are not willing at the present time to consider the "special legislation" proposed for Foster City, Matsuo concluded.

Deaths ofSF Couple Homicide Testimony Ends SCANDINAVIAN FURNITURE Our 3rd ANNIVERSARY SAVE on FURNITURE for any ROOM In your HOME! OMNMMMYl OMLY104. 'fcDANEBOTEAK 3JQ BROADWAY Mill BRAE97.1313 Testimony in the first multiple-defendant, double- homicide trial in San Mateo County's history is over. Each side rested Monday after the defense surprised the prosecution by calling a witness whose testimony cast suspicion on the state's material witness. Closing arguments in the case of the deaths of a San Francisco couple July 11, 1974, are scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. before a jury and Superior Court Judge William Lanam.

At that time, prosecutor Stanley B. Poling will argue his theory that defendants Paul Le Blanc, 44, DeWitt Nunery, 25. and Jonathon Franks, 26, are guilty of participating in a death caravan which climaxed with the killings near Hillsborough. Le Blanc, according to Poling's theory, was the triggerman. Conversely, closing arguments by defense attorneys Gene McDonald of Redwood City, David Pomerenk of San Carlos and Zachary Wasserman of Oakland are expected to center on an attack of the prosecution's star witness.

William Trent, a confessed accomplice in the case who was given leniency for his cooperation. Trent, contends the defense, is a liar. Before resting their respective cases Monday, the defense, through attorney Pomerenk, called a man who identified himself as Jerome Thomas. Thomas testified that he served as an intermediary between Trent and a man known as the "Vagabond" so Trent could buy a handgun after July 4. 1974, days before the shooting deaths of Gerald Humphrey, 19.

and Sandra Mogardo, 18. Thomas testified that Trent traded heroin for the handgun. Insp. Rudy Siemssen of the sheriff's office testified earlier that a "murder" weapon in the case was never found, The victims reportedly were shot with a gun. It was Trent's testimony which allegedly pinned killings on Le Blanc.

He described now he said Le Blanc handled the gun after the shootings. The defense attempted to raise more speculation through renewed examination of Siemssen. The veteran inspector testified that authorities never searched the home of Trent's girlfriend -after the killings, and before Trent's arrest. Over the joint objections of each defense attorney. Judge Lanam rated that it was not proper for the defense to call a psychologist to testify about alleged defects in Trent's character and personality.

The case rested after 23 sessions. Private Investigator Accused of Soliciting A 41-year-old employe of a San Francisco investigate ing firm has been accused by the San Mateo district attorney's office of illegally soliciting business for an attorney. According to Deputy Dist Atty. Douglas J. a complaint has been filed against Joseph A.

Mazor. 41, of San Rafael, an employe of Mazor Investigations of San Francisco, a firm owned by his wife, a licensed private investigator. Gray said Mazor has been accused of violating the State Business and Professions Code. Gray said Mazor is charged with soliciting business for the San Francisco legal firm of Norman Plummer. William Greenspan and James Lee.

He reported Mazor visited Richard Post, 28, charged with the kidnaping arid murder of Ruth Wilhemsen, 21, who was seized from the: Serramonte Shopping Center on June 29. Her body was later found off Skyline Boulevard south of Black Mountain Road west of Hillsborough. According to Gray, Mazor visited Post at the county- jail in Redwood City on July 9 and 10. Post is now- represented by Greenspan. The charge calls for a $500 fine, a six-month term in' the county jail or both.

Dist. Atty. Keith C. Sorehson said this morning thai' Greenspan is subject to disciplinary action by the State Bar of California. I EASY CREDIT on approved credit NEW DENTURES IN ONE DAY in many cases Please be at office before 10:00 a.m.

Dr. J.C Campbell I DENTIST COME IN OR PHONE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION. San Mateo 181 East 4th Ave. Phone 347-9572-: Open Mon. thru Fri.

Closed Sat. No appointment needed in any Dr. Campbell office..