The Lowell Sun from Lowell, Massachusetts • Page 37

METRO edition Lowell, Mass. October 29 1 974 36 Pages 3 Sections I 5 Cents see Page I 9 index Amusement! 33 35 Horoscope 3 Bridge 35 Lire 17 Business 18 19 MetroCity 9 10 Classified 26 32 People In The Sun Comics J4 35 Sarmcnlo Crossword Funic 33 Sports t4 Deaths 45 Suhurbsn 11 Editorial 9 TV 3J Entertainment 33 35 Weather IS Focus 7 economic WicaTors down for 2nd month WASHINGTON (UP1) The government's list of leading economic indicators which is supposed to forecast future economic trends declined for the second straight month in September, the Commerce Department said today. The composite index of leading indicates fell by the same margin last munth 0.7 per cent as if did in August, the department said. The back to back monthly declines represent the first time the index has dropped tor two ca nsecutlve months since January and February, 1975, when the nation was in Ihr worst stages of the recession. The index has been extremely accurate in the past in predicting recessions and expansions.

Economists in and out of government agree that it generally takes three consecutive monthly declines or upturns before a definite trend can be established. Says New England economy still lagging BOSTON (UPI) The economic recoveryin New England is not going as well as expected and things could get worse, according to the president of the Federal Reserve Rank of Boston "New Kngland still lags behind the pace of Hie national economic recovery," Frank G. Morris said Thursday in a speech to the New England chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, "Trie recovery is fair to middling, not any better than lhat," The threat of a graduated income tax, a referendum question on next week's ballot, has caused businesses which might want to expand to choose some other part of the country, Morris said. Earthquake GOLDEN, Colo. (AP An earthquake struck "smack in the middle of New Guinea'' at 9:5) p.m.

EDT Thursday, government scientists here reported. A spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey said the quake registered 7.1 on the Flichter Scale and was the same size and generally in the same location as a quake which caused "numerous casualties'" on June 25. An earlier quake "killed on the order of a thousand people," said geophysicist Bruce Julian, "'I expect this one to be quite comparable." He said no reports of injuries or damage had reached his office. Russians salvage publisher's boat GLOUCESTER, Mass.

(AP) A 60 foot. $150,000 trimaran, from which two persons were rescued after it capsized, has been salvaged by Ihe Russians, its former owner has learned. Publisher Philip Weld said he learned from a friend in the British Foreign Office that a story about the recovery of the Gulf Streamer appeared in the Russian magazine Nedelya Weld and crew member William Stephens of Birmingham, spent more than four days inside and on top of the boat's fiberglass hull after if capsized six months ago 300 miles south of Nantucket. They were picked up by a British cargo ship and taken to Nova Scotia. Weld said he Iried to locate the boat after getting home hut failed and has begun working on a new boat fie acknowledges the Russians own the Gulf Streamer under salvage laws The magazine article said the trimaran was found about 700 miles east of where it capsized, was picked up by a Russian molor vessel and now is in ihe Black Sea port of Odessa.

The article indicated ihe Russians did not know what happened to the Gulf Streamer's crew and thought the home port Gloucester painted on Ihe hull was Gloucester, England. Weld said he wrote to the niagaiipe, telling of the capsizing and wishing the Russians luck restoring the boat. Seize $150,000 in in Aver mail fraud AYER An investigation of alleged mil) fraud led to a search of five locations and seizure of merchandise in five area (owns by police and postal inspectors yesterday. By GODFREY SPERLING JK. Christian Science Monitor WASHINGTON How the "too clusu to call" states will go decide Tuesday's election according to a new Monitor survey.

Jimmy Carter is within 59 electoral votes of the 270 he needs lo win. But the nationwide trend seems to he toward Gerald Ford, and this voter movement in his directiun may be enough to give him a ccme frnm behirid victory. Should President Ford overtake Carter, it would rival, as a surprise, the HaTry Truman comeback against Thomas Dewey in 1MB. In Fact, if Ford catches and overtakes Carter at the wire, it may well be called as the President Is calline, It the political upset of the century. Leading political reporters who participated in tlii survey based their appraisals on contacts with political pollsters, ward level nase counterg, interviews with veteran political professionals, and close, on thc scer.c observations ui the 50 states ami Ihe District of Columbia.

Most significant is the drop of Democrat Carter in popular favor since a similar Monitor poll of Sept. 30. Since (font time two slates, and Louisiana, have been moved from the Carter to Purd probable win column. In addition, 10 stales that seemed to belong to Carter California, Con net: Until, Iowa, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahome, Oregon, South Dakota and Texas have been moved in I the "in doubt" category. That means that in a month's time LO stales with 156 electoral votes have moved Hway from Carter and perhaps within grasp of the President At the some time Carter has picked up no states from Ford and only state New Mexico with just four electoral votes has moved from the "in doubt" column into the Carter category.

And the other Ford "loss" has been very sl ighL in the last month: one state, North Dakota, moving from being regarded marginally tor Ford into the "in doubt" assessment. This upward surge for Ford (oris it a plunge for Carter) conforms with what the leading national pollsters, Harris and Gallup, now are saying: that the race has so narrowed Uiat It Carter both talking of tax cuts By LEWIS LORD United Press Lufenullonal President Ford and Jimmy Carter boUl arc talking lower taxes in hopes of winning the support of pocketbook conseious voters in Tuesday's presidential election. Ford promised to push for a ui cut In January while campaigning Thursday in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Cleveland Carter, campaigning in Erie, Cleveland and New York City, stopped short of promising a tai cut but said one would come "if our projections are right Ford scheduled stops today in Cleveland Milwaukee. St. Louis and Houston, while Carter headed for Philadelphia, Toledo and St ouis.

Fold claimed that the economy was the biggest difference between him and Carter. He said Carter has suffered "drastic slippage" in the polls because of public concern over his economic "policies of panic." Carter, in Cleveland, declined to describe a tax cut as as he had the day belore. "I'm very careful about what 1 promise," Carter said. "If we can have a 5 or 6 per cent economic growth and if we con cut aur unemployment rate down to just about what it was when Richard Nixon entered office and have inflation control and a normal relationship between government spending and our normal spending, we can realize enough income to have a combination of new programs and to have some lax cuts." REPORTERS IN ERIE asked Carter why he might be losing ground to Ford, as indicated in surveys. "I'm not," he replied.

But Carter told an Erie rally there are a long, tough five days ahead" and it would be a mistake to take anything for panted. Federal and stale authorities estimated the lolal value of trie merchandise seized at Merchandise valued at more than J150.000 State by state pre election survey I 1 CARTER gFORD I IN DOUBT Numbers are stab New survey AY PATRICIA WAGNER AND CROMWELL SCHUBARTH Sun Stall LOWELL More witnesses may be called in Ihe probable cause hearing of Robert Wilson, one of three New Hampshire men charged with the New Year's Eve Mahoney triple nwder.as (he result of a motion that apparently caught the presiding judge and Wilson's attorneys by surprise. Afler witnesses including Wilson's brother Donald, retold his version of the grisly details of the slayings, Asst. District Attorney Richard Kelley asked Judge Stanley Jablonski to grant v. two week continuance of the hearing.

Trie teslimony of the witnesses at yester day's hearing was basically the same that had been given at the hearing of one of the other suspects, Terrance Milan, in which probable cause was found. Star witness for the prosecution, Donald Wilson, 28, of Keene, N.H. told the court Dr. Hugh Mahoney pleads for his life afler seeing hi wi fe and son gunned do wn. He said the doctor's pleas were met with a bullet in the head by suspect Robert Wilson who allegedly told him Log Wilson also repeated his earlier statement lhat Smith had said that the blood spurting from Dr.

Mahoney's head "was the most beautiful thing he'd ever saw." Wilson under ihe direct examination of As sL. D.st. Ally. Richard Kelley, gave his account of the movements of all four men Dec. 30 and 31.

which included a trip to Lynn, and numerous dry runs past the Mahoney house on Whpplc Road. Donald Wilson also told a courtroom filled mainly with policemen that hours prior to the murclor Smith gained entrance to the Mahoney home on the pretense of using the telephone because ol car trouble. Upon rejoining Wilson in the car parted about 1(0 feet from the house SmiLh allegedly eornmented, "he's a nice guy, we'll do the job tonight." Wilson also testified as to how he drove his brother, Milan and Smith to the house, dropped them off and returned to the Holiday Inn to await a telephone call. When he received that call he relumed to pick up three excited men who hollered at him to drive in various directions. The trio, according to Wilson, were armed with .38 calibre guns.

Donald Wilson recalled in his testimony a was seizpii Ayer alone during a scareh (hat led the investigators Lo Iwo storage trailers at the Mohawk Village motel it Shirley; the Maw Trading C.c in Ayer, a Warren Hrjad address in Townsend; a residence oji Longtey Hoad in GroLorj; anil Masterson Enterprise Inc. of Clintnn Evidence seized during the searches will be presented lo a federal gTand jury in Boston, according la Gerald E. McDowell, chief of the fedtral Justice Ueparlineiifs New England Organized Crime Strike Force. Dunng the Ayer search, a Shirley Tesittenl was arrested and charged with illegal possession oi a controlled substance, and illegal possession of a hypodermic syringe and needles David Holz.nger. of Shirley, mil appear in Ayer District Court.

The arraignment date has nut been set. The search warrants were executed "by United States Postal Service Inspectors, state police troopers frum Worcester, and local police departments The Tederal charge in the alleged mail fraud scheme is victnlion of Title IB, United States Code 1341 shows Carter plunge could go either way Dn Tuesday. HOWEVER, THE Monitor survey also shows that tremendous distance Ford must stilt go if he is Lo win. of now he is seen to be ahead in 17 slates. But these Ford slates boast few electoral voles only UK) in total.

Carter, with 211 electoral votes as seen In this asst'ssrnent, leadj in the following 17 states. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky. Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Yn Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and tiic Dislrlct of Columbia. Ford states are: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Iiiahci, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mnnlaru, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. The L8 "in doubt" or "Loo close to call" states with 215 electoral votes are: California, Connecticut, Deb ware, Illinois, Indiana, Towa, Mississippi.

Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. The slippage of Carter comes through clearly in the ratings provided in three Monitor surveys, the first Sept. 16, the second Sept. 30, and the current one. In some of the large states with the big electoral votes where the (wo candidates arc concentrating their last minute efforts, the downward movement of the Democratic nominee is quite evident.

California: first survey: "Carter second survey, "Carter third, current survey, "in doubt." Ohinj first survey: "Carter second survey, "Carter third survey, "in doUbl." Texas: "carter Carternarrow" doubt." in only one big stale, Michigan, does Carter appear to possibly be gaining ground. President Ford sttll has the edge in his home slate. BtA tabor's geL out ihe vote effort there is a major one perhaps enough to give the Democrat a victory CARTER SUPPORT erosion, in the three also apparent in the three ratings given for the following 13 states; Connecticut: "Carter "Carter "in doubt Maine Carter "in "Ford narrow." Louisiana: "Carter "Carter "Ford narrow." Virginia 'Carter narrow'" "Ford narrow "Ford solid." Iowa: CarLer "Carter solid" "in doubt." Ariiona "Carter narrow" "Carter narrow''; "Ford narrow." Oklahoma: "Carter "Carter "in tfciobt," Florida Car ler sol id "Carter solid" "Carter narrow. Arkansas: "Carter "Carter "Carter narrow." Norlii Carolina: "Carter "Carter "in doubt South Dakota: 'Carter "Carter narrow" in doulif." Oregon: "CaTler "Carter narrow" "in doubt Mississippi "Carter "Carter sober "in doubt." Monitor bureau chicle assisting In tnEi analysis: Richard Cattanl, John DJLlb, Judith Frullg, Leon Lindsay, George Moneybox, and uary rtatcher. ride bat lo Keene when he learned the gruesome details of how a fight ensued between Dr.

Mahoney and Smith He said that he was told that the boy was shot after he appeared behind his father with a ,15 calibre, gun. Mrs Mahoney then picked up the gun and, according to the witness was shot simultaneously by Smith and Robert Wilson, Smith shot her once again, "for good according to Donald Wilson, who also told of how his brother Robert was shot by Milan in some cross fire. According to Wilson, expended shells were tossed along Rlc. (95, and when the gToup got to Manchester, the ihree guns were thrown over the Queen City Dhdge into (he Merrimack River, He also told the court how they ate a McDon aid in Manchester prior to their return la Keene, where Milan went to a party and Smith scught his girlfriend. Under cross examination by defense AUy, Juseph DiPeria, of the law firm of Harvey Grower, DonaTd Wilson was questioned about his education, and admitted he had problems with reading and writing.

DiPersia asked Wilson if heunderstood what immunity meant, and he said He also asked him why he decided to talk to the police and Wilson responded, "Because I couldn't iive with it anymore." Wilson additionally testified that he first began talking to the police while incarcerated In the Cheshire County Jail in Westmoreland. N.il. Whn DiPersia asked him how many times he had been in jail Wilson replied, "Host count" Under DiPcrsia's questioning Wilson also testified that he knew he was in Lynn because ol a bank ign, heard the others mention they were in Tewkshury. and knew he was on Whipple Road because of a street sign. DiPersia also asked Wilson how he knew thai the three were having bathroom con.

ferences in their motel room, and Wilson responded, I didn't think they were all going to the bathroom al once." DiPersia abruplly finished his cross examination shortly before 2 p.m. Aller a five nunute recess Atty, Kelley relumed to request a continuance for the Commonwealth Astounded by his request. Judge Jablonski sought an explanation and KeLley told the court that in a discussion goods probe Lowell Gas rate hike BOSTON The slate Department uE Public Utilities has unanimously denied a $4.2 mlllici rate hike sought by the Lowell Gas Company. In a highly unusual move, DPI' chairman Harold J. Keohane announced this morning that the commission has denied the company's rale hike request on grounds of "contradictory and unanswered questions in the uti lily's testimony and exhibits THE COMMISSION also denied a 11 6 million hike for Cape Cod Gas Company, an liliate of the Lowell company Doth are subsidiaries of Colonial Gas Energy Systems oF Boston.

In its decision released this morning, DFU commissioners cited "major discrepancies" such as the companies figures on the amount of gas purchased, the cost of purchased gas and Inventory of stored gas." Chairman Keohane said the record contained three separate conflicting figures Tor one item, and, in one case, more than. Lhree. Four held in 2 tries to firebomb Pelham home PELHAM Four youths were arrested by Pelham police last night afler Iwo firebcmb ing attempts on house on Si mpson Mill Road. The four, who police say are juveniles in their mid teens, are charged, with attempted arson by firebombing. They were released in the custody of their parenLs pending appearance in Pelham Municipal Court, Patrolmen Dennis Fl nucher and Wiilia ifi Dowling captured the four after a second attempt at bombing the hnme nf Harry Nyman on Simpson Mill Road There was no damage lo Ihe house, or its occupants a I the lime which included Mrs.

Nyman and her older children, police said. According lo police, Ihe first firebomb was thrown at the house by suspects a passing car shortly after 11 p.m. Shortly after midnight the same car came hy and another niolnlov cocktail was thrown. Pol ice arres led the suspects abnut a half mile (rem the house. Police said that the firebombs hit the side ol the road and the lawn of the house.

Police are seeking a motive far the attacks State makes plea to delay end of Mahoney case hearing Wednesday night with another one of the prosecutors handling Ihe ease, it was decided that they should request a continuance so that they could bring other witnesses lo the proceedings. Kelley revealed thai feme of the witness re the state wanted lo call to make i Is case were not in Massachusetts and he wanted the two weeks to get them all together. He further stated, lollowing defense attorney Joseph Dipersia's objections id the i mv Linuance, that he didn't krinw the names of the witnesses. Jablonski immediately called a recess, instructing Kelley to call the other asst. prosecutor, Robert Barker, to make sure a con tlnuance was really neccesary and lind out the names of the other witnesses.

After a brief recess, Kelley returned and told the court he couldn't reach Barker. Dipersia argued that the prosecution had deliberately waited until the end of the hearing yesterday to ask for a continuance In ensure Barker's unavailability. Jablonski continued the case to Tuesday, November 2. He said at thai time he wants the prosecution to state its reasons tor requesting tie continuance fuliy. 1 don't see how I can continue this case for the two or three weefcs you mention," Jablonski told Kelley DiPersia argued that since the oilier witnesses were not part of a list they hid been fum islicd of those the state planned to call at Wiison's hrar Uierc should be no ctntinuance As the last of the stale witnesses.

Kelley called Stale Police Ballistics experts Sgt. Chester E. Hallis Jr and Officer Oeorge Win dish. Hallis and Wlndish identitied a number of exhibits, including two li calibre revolvers and bullets recovered from the Mahoney home and from the bodies ol Die family. Hallis repeated his earlier testimony, stating only two of the bullets could be positively identified as having been fired from one of the revolvers recoveied in Manchester The bullets thai were poiitively identified hy Hallis were found lodged in Dr.

Mahoney snd his wife. r..