The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 1

The Indianapolis Star Chuckle The key to good conversation is learning to look like you're listening. FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1985 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty" II Cor. 3:17 ft ft ft ft Single Copy 25 Cents Americans reported 4 freed in Nicara Mostly sunny High. 87. Low.

63. Clear tonight. Details on Page 55. gua Gunmen not with Contras Off) i i flfTtr-iH Today is touching birthday for Sean AVv ASSOCIATED PRESS Carver, Mass. Sean Halloran will get to have his birthday cake and eat it, too, when he turns 2 years old today a slice of life that not long ago seemed only a remote possibility.

Sean was born with severe combined immune deficiency, making even the slightest exposure to germs potentially life-threatening. His condition was similar to that of the Houston "Bubble Boy," known only as David, who died last year after living 12 years in a sealed plastic bubble. Scan's brother, Jason, had died at 4'i months as a result of the deficiency. Sean's mother, June, spent the first year of Sean's life cleaning the house with heavy-duty antiseptic, following Sean around with cotton and alcohol to rid things he might touch of germs. His hands were constantly washed in the battle against infection.

"Last year, we let him stick his fingers in the (birthday) cake but he couldn't eat it," Mrs. Halloran said Thursday. "This year, he can eat it. "Just the fact that he's here, he's normal and that he can do everything a normal kid can do is a (cause for) celebration. It's been a long haul but he's doing really well now." Sean was born by Caesarean See SEAN Page 8 STAR STAFF PHOTO FRANK H.

FISSE Bickett tries on the blue New Indianapolis Colt Duane Bickett pauses outside the Colts' training camp at Anderson College with Colts Defensive Coach George Hill. Bickett was the Colts' first pick in the April football draft. His contract was signed Wednesday, and Bickett flew to Indianapolis for his first day of training Thursday. Story and another picture on Page 37. Lawyer pleads guilty in Merchants Plaza bribery scandal trial By SAM DILLON KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS Miami Gunmen who identified themselves as "independent anti-communists" Thursday released 29 American peace activists and about a dozen journalists held for two days along a jungle river bordering Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the peace group announced.

The kidnapped protesters, from the U.S.-based Witness for Peace, radioed to associates in Managua at 1:30 p.m. EST to announce that their abductors had allowed them to return to their 50-foot flat-bottom boat and proceed with their journey, the peace group's Washington, D.C., spokesman Polly Duncan said. Protester Warren Armstrong, who talked on the ham radio, said the group's captors had asked to be referred to as "an independent anti-communist group of Nicaraguans," Duncan said. A handful of gunmen in motley uniforms intercepted the activists as they navigated the steamy river Tuesday. Before releasing the protesters, their kidnappers specifically requested that they not be identified as followers of Eden Pastora, or as members of his Contra group ARDE, Duncan quoted Armstrong as saying.

Various armed groups have operated in Nicaragua's border region. In addition to Pastora's forces, other rebels from the Nicaraguan Demo-See FREED Page 8 Legislators feel duped by petition By JOAN MOWER ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington At least 19 members of Congress signed letters or statements circulated by the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, unaware that the State Department had called the resistance group a terrorist, pro-violent movement responsible for the deaths of six Americans in Iran. The congressmen or their aides acknowledged in interviews that they had lent their prestige to the organization, which then ran their names in a full page advertisement in The New York Times of July 28. The ad listed more than 2.000 politicians and parliamentarians in the United States and Western Europe who it said had signed petitions. Other legislators not named in the advertisement have sent letters to Massoud Rajavi within the last 13 months.

They include Sens. Gary See PETITION Page 8 ASSOCIATED PRESS June Halloran holds her son Sean, who was confined to a hospital room until a bone marrow transplant made him better. Speedway's new 96 garages will accent spaciousness tence investigation. Federal prosecutors said they will seek a prison sentence for Howard under a plea agreement reached last month. Howard faces a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison.

Howard's attorney, John M. Dowd. said Howard was not admitting that he knew that Magnuson or others had paid bribes, but that Howard knew Magnuson had been hired as an influence peddler. "He's facing up to the fact that he should have done something about it," Dowd said. Dowd said Howard now would cooperate with the federal probation office as Stockier decides what penalty to impose, and indicated Howard would resign from the local and state bar associations.

"He's telling his friends he is no longer acting as a lawyer." Howard signed the plea agreement after the three other participants in the Merchants Plaza scheme were convicted of multiple charges by a federal jury after a lengthy trial that ended in June. They are Magnuson, an Indiana polis lawyer and former treasurer of the Indiana Democratic Party; Larry R. Mohr, a prominent lobbyist and former chairman of the State Board of Tax Commissioners, and Fred W. Carver, an attorney and lobbyist. Evidence in the trial showed See GUILT Page 8 Thompson said there will be 96 garages, arranged in three rows of 32 each.

They will be constructed of precast, tilt-up cement slabs, he said, with each garage 20 by 25 feet, which is nearly double-garage size. He said there will also be considerably more aisle room than in the old garage area, with 50 feet between the rows. There was approximately 30 feet between the two garage structures under the old setup. There will be both men's and women's restrooms in the center of each of the three rows, for a total of By RICHARD E. CADY STAR STAFF WRITER For the first time, one of the principal defendants has admitted knowing that a political fund raiser was hired to be a potential bagman in the Merchants Plaza fee-raising scheme.

Pleading guilty to three federal crimes Thursday, attorney H. Kent Howard acknowledged that he knew "Claude Magnuson could and would make funds available, if necessary, to influence the Center Township assessor and others in the reduction of the property tax assessment on Merchants Plaza." "Your honor, I plead guilty." Howard, a former Indiana House of Representatives attorney, told federal Judge William E. Sleekier three times. Two federal agents then recited evidence showing that Howard profited from a bribery scheme and cheated his law partners, business associates and the government. "Have you given full consideration of the possible consequences of changing your plea?" Sleekier asked.

"Yes, sir. your honor, very, very carefully." Howard replied. "It's important for me to stand up to my responsibilities now, close this chapter and get on with my life." Sleekier accepted Howard's guilty pleas to mail fraud and two counts of submitting false income tax returns. He ordered a presen From the beginning, the priests knew it wasn't going to be easy. "We knew what we were looking for," Father McVean said a build ing between 39th and 13th streets in Manhattan that could hold 100 units "and we also knew that there weren't many of them around." Most of the rejected sites were cither too small or too costly, he said.

Besides, he said, it was difficult to strike a bargain in midlown Manhattan, one of the world's most expensive real estate markets, be six of the sanitary facilities. Each will measure 24 by 50 feet, he said. In addition to the garages, there will be 30 rooms for accessory firms located within the garage area. Summit Construction Co. of Indianapolis is handling the construction.

A foreman for the company said he expects to start putting in the footings for the garage buildings in two weeks. Crews have been engaged in site preparation work. Thompson said he could not yet provide any cost estimate on the structures. An informed guess was between See SPEEDWAY Page 8 Rev. John Felice who make up two thirds of the Manhattan branch of St.

Francis Friends of the Poor have negotiated real estate deals twice before, this time they arc working under a deadline. The Franciscans were awarded $2 million as part of a May 7 out, of-court settlement between the city and real estate developer Harry Macklowe. Macklowe was accused of illegally ordering the midnight demolition of four Times Square buildings, including a single room occupancy ho Priests fight clock in quest to spend $2 million By JEP CADOU Jr. STAR ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR Construction work is expected to begin in about two weeks on the drastically revised and expanded new garage area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, expected to cost several million dollars. Charles Thompson.

Speedway superintendent, Thursday outlined general plans for the new garages. He said they will run north and south instead of the cast west arrangement of the old wooden garages most of them built in 1941 which were razed after the 1985 500 Mile Race to make way for the new ones. Index Arts. Leisure Bridge Horoscope 22 Jumble 22 Dr. Lamb 22 Landers 26 LifeStyle Movies 14-17 Obituaries 33 Sports 37-41 Statistics 55 TV-Radio ...3445 Weather 55 19 Classified Ads 43-54 Comics 42 Crossword 55 Doonesbury ...22 Editorials 12 Finance 29-33 Graham 43 Phone numbers Circulation 633-9211 Main office 633-1240 Classified Ads 633-1212 Scores alter 4:30 p.m 633-1200 Prayer When we are faced with conflicts or anger, thank You.

Lord, for helping us to control our thoughts and actions through Your gifts of patience and courage. Amen. Ragweed pollen count 7 Mold ipore count 453 VOLUME 83, No. 65 cie dfuveheo tt pen MOTOR DELIVERED H.M PE WK Copirrighl 1905 th Indunapoli Sim tel primarily used by welfare recipients. The developer, who did not have legal title when the buildings were destroyed Jan.

7, was trying to beat a proposed citywidc moratorium, to begin Jan. 9, on demolishing single-room occupancy buildings. As part of the settlement, the Franciscans, who run two shelters for the homeless, were given the money and an Aug. 15 deadline to buy a building that could be renovated into another shelter, for homeless former mental patients. tumor removed from behind Nixon's ear cause "every agent we went to knew we had $2 million to spend." "That kind of cuts down on your bargaining power." Father McVean said, adding.

"Not surprisingly, everything we saw cost just about 12 million." Asked if the Franciscans were shown any charity because of their priestly status and humanitarian project, Father McVean laughed and replied: "Are you kidding? All's fair in love and real estate." But two months and nearly 40 See PRIESTS Page 8 ty in hit honor at the Chinese Embassy given by Peking's new ambassador to the United Slates. Nixon had recovered well enough, however, to attend a baseball game Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where Tom Seaver won his 300th game. Prioleau emphasized that the form of cancer involved basal cell carcinoma was "very mild." but he said, "Mr, Nixon will be coming in to sec us frequently." Basal coll carcinoma is the type of cancerous growth removed from President Reagan's nose last week. By JUDIE GLAVE ASSOCIATED PRESS New York The wheeler dealer world of Manhattan real estate may suit some, but two Franciscan priests who must spend 2 million by next Thursday are finding the experience tough on the nerves. "These negotiations are quite hard and draining," the Rev.

John McVcan said Thursday. "You've really got to be the gambling type to survive it. It's nerve wracking to me. anyway." Though Father McVcan and the Cancerous 51 A- VM I Nixon By PHILIP UNITED PRESS New Richard York City change of nation a cancerous ear. "Mr.

well and is Philip Prioleau tal Cornell him just a change in NEWMAN INTERNATIONAL York Former President Nixon reported to a New hospital Thursday for a bandages and an cxami following surgery to remove tumor behind his left Nixon is progressing very in good spirits," said Dr. of New York Hospi Medical Center. "I saw bit earlier today for a dressings and ing had persisted. He persuaded Nixon not to go to Washington for a dinner in his honor Wednesday night. "He (Nixon) has been on couma din (a blood thinner used in the treatment of phlebitis) for many years and we had stopped it for the surgery." Prioleau said.

"When we resumed, the wound began to bleed." Prioleau swathed Nixon's head in bandages on Wednesday because of bleeding the last few days. The Washington function Nixon missed Wednesday night was a par V. Prioleau removed the inch in diameter tumor during four hours of surgery a week ago Thursday. Nixon, 72, left the hospital the same day and returned to his home in Saddle River. N.J.

Prioleau said the cancer did not threaten the former president's life. The doctor said he removed a piece of skin from Nixon's left shoulder and grafted it over the area where the tumor was removed. The operation was first disclosed by the New York Daily News. Prioleau said that although the cancer was totally removed, bleed A i.