The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 1

mm- (USM MM40) Contents copyrtflhtod iw CttiMtWaMd Publishing Co. Vol. 108, No. 199 Anniston, Ala Saturday, July 18, 1987 Price 25 Cents 'Alabama's largest home-owned newspaper9 River sweeps away van, buiss 2 killed Rape bill passes House I I I I KAM I MO Bus Plunges 1 Into niver okiaVj5 I texas IT CojnjoJjjl Aws I fc VOsi in stable condition, said James Taylor, a dispatcher for Kerr County Emergency Medical Services. "I'm fine.

I'm just worried about my kids," said bus driver Richard "Whitey" Koons, 26. Koons said he was taking the youngsters to a rafting expedition when the bus stalled in about 12 inches of water at a ford on the Guadalupe River that normally is covered by low water. He told the children to get out, and some were swept away as the river suddenly rose to as high as the van's steering wheel. The bus then toppled into the flood. The empty bus was found about 5:30 p.m.

on the north side of the river, but the sheriff said the van was still under water. ALMOST A FOOT of rain fell in the area Friday morning, causing the worst flooding of the Guadalupe River at nearby Hunt since July 1932, the National Weather Service 'said. The river had risen to 28.4 feet, 16 feet above flood stage, by 4 a.m. A volunteer firefighter said one of the survivors told him they tried to form a human chain to get to the bank. "She said they were all holding hands like a chain and maybe work themselves up back to the pave-(Please see River, Page 2A) By DAVID SEDENO Associated Press Writer COMFORT, Texas A church bus and a van carrying 43 people from a children's camp to a rafting expedition were swept into a rain-swollen river Friday, killing two people and leaving eight missing as survivors clung to trees awaiting rescue, authorities said.

Sheriff's officers said they had called camp officials between 3 and 4 a.m. Friday to warn against crossing the swollen river. "Everybody down the river was notified that the river was on the rise," said Kendall County Sheriff Lee D'Spain Jr. "I couldn't say for certain, but I think that would be right that it could have been avoided if they would have taken notice of the warning." The body of one girl was found three miles downstream, and a 14-year-old girl died when she fell 100 feet from a rope dangled by a rescue helicopter, authorities said. "She couldn't hold on.

She apparently was too weak to hold on. She had the rope around her properly, but she just couldn't hold on," said Sgt. Charles Seale, area supervisor for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The girl, who was from Mesquite, was identified as Melanie Finley. The second victim was identified as From Staff, Wire; Reports MONTGOMERY The Alabama Legislature gave Gov.

Guy Hunt a strongbox of crime bills Friday, including legislation that would allow a woman to bring a rape charge against her husband. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, received final passage in the House by an overwhelming margin after debate by a handful of opponents who claimed it would be wrongly used by women as a legal weapon in divorce cases. The Bible teaches that "you cannot abstain from your partner unless you are sick or for a religious purpose," said Rep. Ed Frazier, D-Jasper, who opposed the legislation.

Rep. Thomas Reed, D-Tuskegee, also spoke against the bill, which if signed by Gov. Guy Hunt would make marital rape a felony charge. "If this were a real issue involving women around this state you wouldn't have standing room in this balcony," Reed said during the debate. "You have 2.9 million women in the state of Alabama and I see three women here pushing this measure.

There is something wrong somewhere." But Rep. Pat Davis, D-Birm-ingham, who guided the bill through the House, responded, "You may not see the women now, but in four years (1990 election) you'll see them." ALL BUT ONE area House member supported the bill, though several did not vote. Voting yes were Reps. Bobby Crow, D-Coldwater; Ron Johnson, D-Sylacauga; Richard Laird, D-Roanoke and Gerald Willis, D-Pied-mont. Voting no was Clarence Haynes, D-Talladega, who said he thinks married women are covered by existing rape laws.

Not voting were A.J. Blake, D-Pell City; Jim Campbell, D-An-niston; and Richard Lindsey, D-Centre. Drug bills given final passage by the House included a measure (Please see Rape, Page 2A) 4 An Army helicopter rescues people from tree tops Tonya Smith, 13, of Scurry. SURVIVORS CLUNG to trees or tried to form human chains to get out of the flood, but Seale said eight people ranging in age from 10 to 18 were still missing hours after the 7 a.m. accident.

The accident occurred at a ford on the Guadalupe River, which was experiencing its worst flooding in 55 years, authorities said. "It just may be some false hopes" that any survived in the churning waters, Seale said. At least 19 of the 33 known survivors were injured, said David Wells, another DPS spokesman. Only two were hospitalized late Friday, one in guarded and the other immediately the death sentence against Marcel Carton and Marcel Fontaine," calls to two Western news agency offices in Moslem west Beirut said. The callers claimed to speak for Islamic Jihad, or Islamic Holy War.

Carton, 63, protocol officer at the French Embassy, and Fontaine, 46, the vice consul, were abducted separately in west Beirut on March 22, 1985. It was not clear whether the same person called both agencies. The statements, in classical Arabic, Militants threatenjttf kill French hostages AP PtMtt Nov. 15, 1986, warned the United States that it would free no American hostages. That statement was accompanied by a picture of American hostage Terry A.

Anderson, 39, the chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press. FRIDAY'S STATEMENTS began with an identical verse of the Koran, Islam's holy book. They accused French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac of deciding to cut off rela- Please see Hostages, Page 4A) were almost identical. The calls said the telephone was used because Syrian secret servicemen had been placed around Western news agency offices in west Beirut. Islamic Jihad, which had claimed it abducted Carton and Fontaine, has said its statements should not be considered authentic unless they are accompanied by a photograph of a hostage.

Islamic Jihad is believed made up of Shiite extremists loyal to Iran's Poindexter refuses to back down on belief revolutionary patriarch Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The midafternoon calls came hours after the government in Paris announced France was severing diplomatic ties with Iran. Iran had refused to allow French police to question an Iranian Embassy employee about bombings that killed 11 people in Paris last September. Islamic Jihad had not issued any communique since Syria deployed 7,500 troops in west Beirut on Feb. 22 to quell fighting among militias.

Its last previous statement on Stir Photo by Bill Wllion By FAROUK NASSAR Associated Press Writer BEIRUT, Lebanon Telephone callers claiming to speak for Shiite Moslem kidnappers said Friday that the pro-Iranian militants will kill two French diplomat-hostages because France broke relations with Iran. But French Embassy spokesman Gerard Boivineau said he doubted the calls were authentic because the callers did not say they would provide a picture of a captive. "It has been decided to carry out Oxford to tay 55 mph By PHILLIP RAWLS Associated Press Writer MONTGOMERY State highway officials said Friday they have 65 mph markers readyto post as soon as Gov. Guy Hunt signs a bill increasing the speed limit on Alabama's rural interstate highways. But the old 55 mph markers will apparently do nicely for the Oxford stretch of 1-20.

The new speed limit will take effect as soon as Gov. Guy Hunt signs the bill. Hunt said Friday he will add his signature as soon as he receives the bill from the Legislature, but legislative clerks said it will take a few days to complete the paperwork on the measure because of the glut of bills approved by the Legislature in its closing days. The state Highway Department is ready to erect signs as soon as Hunt's signature dries, Maintenance Engineer Tom Cain said. "We've had the signs and decals made for three or four weeks." The Legislature was able to raise the speed limit because of a federal (Please see Oxford, Page 2A) Inside today's Star DEATHS: Miss Lola Juanita Bright and Mrs.

Flora P. Ledbet-ter, both of Anniston; and Mrs. Catherine Dorothy Johnson Bell of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Details Page 3C. WEATHER: Today should be perfect for outdoor activities.

The forecast calls for sunny and warm weather with only a slight chance of a shower. Similar conditions are expected through the weekend. Details Page 4A. Calendar 4A Geo. 3W Cla.

ads 4B Religion 1C Cody 3W Sports IB p(M in (our Mclloni By null. pgi In (our Kctioni Dancing up a storm By FRANK JACKMAN New York Daily Writer WASHINGTON Rear Adm. John Poindexter insisted Friday, in the face of strong White House denials, that President Reagan would have approved the diversion of Iranian arms sales profits to the Contras. He said Reagan now condemns the idea publicly because "that's the whole idea of deniability." But Poindexter's claim brought more denials by the White House, with Reagan's chief of staff Howard Baker contending that the admiral's statement was "not based on any fact. It's based on no conversation with this president.

It's based on no piece of evidence." Presidential spokesman Martin Fitzwater rejected Poindexter's assertion on Thursday, but the former national security adviser brushed aside that denial Friday, declaring: "I would have expected him to say that that is the whole idea of deniability." A few hours later, Baker told reporters, "The fact of the matter is that the president said in his March press conference that, had he known about it, you would have heard him shout all the way down the corridor and through the door. And he's repeated a number of times since that had he known about it he simply would have stopped it." IN THE FACE of increasing questions about his credibility, Poindexter stuck doggedly to his story that to "protect" the president from, political fallout if it ever leaked out, he acted strictly on his own in approving the Contra diversion; that he never told the president about it; and that he believed he wasn't doing anything Reagan himself wouldn't have approved. Testifying for the third day at the nationally televised Iran-Contra hearings, the 50-year-old naval officer said he withheld information from Congress because "I simply didn't want any outside in- I lore's how to writo orlh, Poindoxlor Since many of our readers seem interested in sending letters to to Lt. Col. Oliver North and Adm.

John Poindexter, here's one way to do it. Officials say both North and Poindexter receive letters through their attorneys. For North, write in care of Williams Connolly, 839 17th St. N.W., Washington, D.C., 20006. Send letters for Poindexter in care of Fulbright Jaworski, 1150 Connecticut Ave.

N.W., Washington, DC, 20036. terference" in the secret plan to funnel aid to the Nicaraguan rebels when it was banned by law. At the start of the day's proceedings, Poindexter's lawyer, Richard Beckler, assailed the fairness of committee members and protested that their public expressions of skepticism at Poindexter's story could influence a federal grand jury examining criminal charges by special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh against Poindexter. "This hallowed Institution (Congress) has the power to crush an individual if it wishes to unless the members show some restraint," said Beckler. Beckler's attack drew a stinging reply from Sen.

Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate investigative panel. Speaking directly to Poindexter, Inouye said: "WHEN WE SIT here and listen to your testimony, in which you tell us that you have either withheld information from, or misled, or misinformed the Congress that you have witheld information from the president, that you have either withheld information from, or misled, or misinformed the highest ranking Cabinet (officers) that (Please see Poindexter, Page 4A) Four of the several hundred square dancers rhythm of the call. Some of the participants came from across the Southeast, who gathered in from as far as Florida to attend the convention of Anniston on Friday night, dip and twirl to the "Interstate Dancers." Holladay sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping crowd outside the courtroom, Joseph seemed to be regarding the incident with humor, observers said. At the close of the 20-minute hearing Friday morning, Holladay told U.S. District Court Judge U.

W. Clemon that he had an objection and asked if he "had a say." When Clemon said no and adjourned the session, Holladay complained that his life was being "signed away on a warrant" and "you don't get a say-so," according to the tape of the sentencing DURING THE hearing, Clemon imposed the maximum life sentence allowed him by law. A Jury had convicted Holladay in early June on (Please see Holladay, Page 4A By JOHN RONNER Star Staff Writer Convicted capital murderer Glenn William Holladay shouted at a black prosecutor, repeatedly using a racial slur, as several federal agents led him handcuffed out of a courtroom Friday, where he had just been sentenced to life in prison on a kidnapping charge, according to a recording of the proceedings. "Hope you live with Courson (the victim) for a while Holladay shouted at Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Joseph as he was led past the prosecution table.

"Hope you like it Joseph, who had been standing at the table for several minutes, did not appear to react to Holladay's outburst, courtroom observers said. Later, in a milling.