The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 1

The Indianapolis Star TODAY'S CHUCKLE As a financier, old Noab was vastly underrated: be floated hi stock when everyone else was being liquidated. High, 61; Low, 45 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty" Cor. 317 VOLUME 75, No. 324 ft -r -sir ir TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1978 fj a i ck fJ i vj" CASHIER DELIVERED Me PER WK. MOTOR OEUVEREO 90c PER WK.

EST 2 7 USAC OFFICIALS. 2 OTHERS PERISH Weather Caused Plane Crasli? EATIfER TODAY Cloudy; Rain High, 60; Low, 42 Yesterday Bob Collins' Tribute To Ray Marquette, Page 22 Robin MUler What The Victims Did On Tbeir Last Day, Page 22 By PATRICK T. MORRISON and JAMES G. NEWLAND JR. Star Staff Reporters Arlington, Ind.

Driving hail and 100-mile-an-hour winds may have caused a chartered twin-engine airplane to crash in a muddy field near here Sunday night, killing nine persons, including seven United States Auto Club officials. The craft, a 10-seat Piper Navajo Chieftain, flew into an approaching thunderstorm at 6,000 feet about 9:30 p.m. and descended to a lower altitude but wasn't able to avoid the heavy turbulence which is believed to have sent it plunging to earth about 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis, weather authorities said. The tragedy struck the world's largest Mayor Orders Flags At Half-Staff "It was a tremendous blow to the entire community as well as to USAC and the auto racing industry. "I extend the sympathy of all the residents of Indianapolis to the friends and families of these nine people," Hudnut said.

"We have all suffered a great loss." Mayor William H. Hudnut Monday ordered all city flags flown at half-staff through Thursday in memory of the nine persons killed in the airplane crash near Arlington. "I have asked the Indianapolis-Marion County Building Authority to fly the flags at half-staff because this unfortunate accident truly is a community tragedy. Indianapolis i I I Marion Co. auto-racing organization with its biggest event the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race just around the corner.

Practice for the 62nd running of the race begins May 6. GONE ARE the club's head of public affairs, its technical director, its registrar, its chief starter, and its sprint car supervisor. Replacing them in the wake of the tragic mishap will be the toughest assignment USAC President Dick King ever has had. Ironically, King himself might have been on the plane, but he chose to stay in Trenton, N.J., from where the plane took off following a USAC-sanctioned race. The pilot, 53-year-old Don Mullendore of Franklin, owner of the plane, and his eight passengers all perished in the fiery disaster.

The plane, bound for Indianapolis International Airport, had left Trenton earlier in the day after completion of the Gabriel 200-mile race for Indy-type cars. It made a stop at Johnstown, Pa. en route to Indianapolis, according to a USAC official. FEDERAL Aviation Administration officials under the supervision of a representative of the National Transportation Safety Board sifted through the still-smoldering wreckage Monday. They declined to comment on the cause of the crash.

Witnesses said the weather was clear on the ground at the time; however, National Weather Service forecasters who had been on duty Sunday night at the airport said Monday that a "line of severe thunderstorms" accompanied by hail was moving across the path of the plane about a mile in the air prior to the crash. "It is not uncommon for winds to reach 100 miles an hour," a Weather Service spokseman said. "If the plane got Shelby Co. i A. Oatei) (Str Photo by Villt, IN MUDDY FIELD IS SITE OF CRASH WHICH KILLED NINE PorichoI In UVaL Af Tu in 1T; i SMOLDERING CRATER SpVPfl I 'SAT Offirlnls Council Gives Nod To Bond Issue For Tennis Complex vi u-ij iiuic turn iu iusn county Robinson Innocent Of Jackson Slaying; Guilty On Other Counts By ROBERT N.

BELL The City-County Council adopted a $4-million bond proposal by a 22-6 vote Monday night, paving the way for construction of a tennis complex on the city's Near Westside in July. Three Democrats joined 19 Republicans to give council approval for the project after an effort to keep possible By CAROLYN PICKERING Manuel Lee Robinson was found not guilty of murder and armed robbery late Monday night but was convicted on six other counts in connection with the robbery-slaying of Marjorie Jackson. The jury of eight women and four men in Marion Criminal Court, Division 4, after hearing five days of testimony, deliberated 7'i hours before convicting Robinson on two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, arson and conspiracy to commit arson. THE 30-YEAR-OLD man had maintained he had prospered from the largest Gambler Contributes To Demo's Campaign Work On 10th Street Postponed For Race "anCOrk Rush CO. iKUwilln I UOI IVIIIC SHIM MALONE, starter for various USAC races and head of its midget racer division.

JUDY PHILLIPS, a graphic artist who directed publication of USAC's newsletter. STAN WORLEY, chief registrar of USAC. ROSS TEEGUARDEN, assistant See PLANE Page 9 signatures of property owners who signed petitions in favor of the proposal. Glenn L. Howard.

Democratic minority leader who voted against the measure, said he will lead a signature drive against the proposal. Frick said that once the remonstrance period is over, the bonds can be sold. He added that he expects this to, occur in June and that construction should start by mid-July. THE 18-COURT tennis complex must be completed by August, 1979, if the city is to remain the home of the National Clay Courts tournament. Tournament officials have given the city until that time to build a new home for the tourney.

The proposed complex would be located on the western edge of the Indiana-Purdue University, Indianapolis campus, adjacent to Military Park. In addition to the $4 million in municipal bonds, which are to be paid off in 30 years, a total of $2 5 million in private funds must be raised for the project. Lilly Endowment an Indianapolis-based philanthropic organization, has pledged to match each dollar from the private sector with one of its own. up to $1.5 million. FRANK E.

McKINNEY, chairman of the board of American Fletcher National Bank, is chairman of the private fund drive for the complex City officials said yearly bond payments would be paid from operating profits of the center and would not be on the tax rolls. Schneider's proposed amendment to the bond ordinance was defeated after Frick told councilmen that the city's bond counsel said it would put the sale of the bonds in ieoDardv In addition to Howard, those who voted against the ordinance were Democrats Henry Bayt, Lula M. Journey, Michael D. Vollmer, A. Keith Walters and Thomas E.

Pearce. Democrat Edgar T. Campbell abstained from voting. VOLLMER SAID that he was personally in favor of the proposal but his constituents were not. In other action Monday night, the council voted to add $23,018 to its urban homesteading project and $90,000 to a fund set aside to aid the elderly in emergency repairs of their homes.

It also approved putting $298,120 in a special Mayor's County Building Improvement Agency to be used for repairs to the Marion County Jail and the County Home at Julietta. 'The Mulch Page 20 "Nevertheless, we do have a humanitarian interest in what happens to Mr. Shcharansky I cannot rule out the possibility that Mr. Vogel may raise the subject of Mr. Shcharansky." Vogel, Van Norman's court-appointed lawyer, was instrumental in negotiating the 1962 swap of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

AIDES TO Gilman, a member of the New York "Save Anatoly Shcharansky Committee," said there was "no indication" yet on the prospects for Shcharan-sky's release. Executive director Jerry Goodman of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry said he spoke by telephone with Sc PRISONER Page I within the (storm's) gust front," the extremely high turbulence could have forced the plane down, he explained. Killed in the crash were: RAY MARQUETTE, a former sportswriter for The Indianapolis SUr and The News who was vice-president in charge of public affairs for USAC. FRANK DELROY, chairman of the USAC technical committee. cost overruns and operating deficits off the tax rolls failed.

Republican Councilman William G. Schneider asked that the bond proposal be amended to keep such costs off the tax rolls but the idea was defeated 19 to 10. INDIANAPOLIS Deputy Mayor David R. Frick said those opposing the bond issue will have 30 days from Thursday to get one more signature than the 9,439 1972 and was arrested at 437 West North Street along with 18 persons, seven of whom were charged with federal crimes and 11 of whom were cited for state law violations by the Indianapolis Police Department vice squad. THE COMBINED state and federal raiders, who hit two other gambling spots at the same time, seized $6,800 in cash, and thousands of baseball tickets and numbers slips from the location where Manson was arrested.

The Manson arrest location was termed a warehouse for gambling paraphernalia. Manson was sentenced to a 60-day jail term, placed on probation for 34 months and fined $10,000 by Judge Cale J. Holder on June 30, 1972. In addition, the Indiana Department of Revenue lists Manson as owing $14,000 in back income taxes since 1975, a department spokesman said. Manson could face prosecution in Marion County for the debt, David L.

Rim-stidt, chief deputy county prosecutor said. KERN WILL BE on the ballot for the Marion County Democratic nomination for prosecutor on the May 2 primary election. He faces former Criminal Court Judge Andrew Jacobs who defeated Kern 816 to 224 in the county Democratic slating convention last week. The defeat means the regular party organization will support Jacobs over Kern. Jacobs also filed his report Monday.

The Jacobs report, which covers a time period from "the beginning of the world to April 24, 1978," lists expenditures of $2,573, and no contributions. Jacobs pledged to finance his own campaign. Major expense for Jacobs was the party slating fee of $2,362. and a decision on his application for parole is scheduled to be made May 4. He is expected to be released then, or possibly sooner.

State Department spokesman Tom Reston said the release of Marcus was tied to an "agreement in principle" on the trade of Thompson for Van Norman. 'UF THERE ARE NO unforeseen last-minute circumstances, Thompson is expected to go to East Germany at the conclusion of his parole," Reston said. Reston said Vogel was coming to Washington, at Gilman's invitation, "to discuss a variety of subjects," including the Thompson-Van Norman exchange. "I can state categorically that no discussions are taking place for an exchange for'ir. Shcharansky," he said.

By R. JOSEPH GELARDEN A convicted gambler, who federal probers have called one of the heads of a ll-million gambling business, is the only listed contributor to the campaign of a Democrat candidate for Marion County prosecutor, public records reveal. The pre-primary election financial re port of attorney Kenneth C. Kern lists Euless Manson, 5602 Woodside Drive, as the only contributor of record to his campaign. MANSON, WHO was convicted in Fed eral Court in 1972 of conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling business, gave Kern $500, the report says.

Kern's report says he received $2,825 in umtemized contributions, with the Manson contribution being the only one listed. State law required only contributions of more than $100 to be itemized. Kern said he did not know anything about Manson or his background. "Manson is just a guy sent here by (City-County councilman) Harold Hawkins," Kern said. Manson was one of the targets of a federal probe into city gambling rings in ITCHING COUGK? SKEEBNG iMIG See 'Allergies: Your Personal Poison Page 8 City officials made a last-minute decision Monday afternoon and postponed construction on West 10th Street to allow the thousands of 500-Mile Race fans to use the street next month.

The Speedway Traffic Committee was informed earlier Monday that the street would be practically unusable in May. It has been used annually on race day as a one-way "emergency route" to speed buses and taxis from downtown to the track on West 16th Street. General traffic is now allowed on that day. Department of Transportation officials had told the traffic committee that only two lanes would be open. MONDAY NIGHT.

DOT director Fred L. Madorin said he will postpone the work until after the race. The work is part of the Holt Road project, planned since 1970, and involves work at the intersection of Holt and 10th and on Olin Avenue, Madorin explained. The two westbound lanes of 10th Street currently are torn up and new concrete will be laid this week, Madorin said. The Inside Today's Star News Summary On Page 2 known home burglary in history, but denied through his attorney any complicity in the murder of the grocery store heiress or the arson which was set in a bungled effort to cover the murder.

Robinson's co-conspirator, Howard Willard, is serving a life sentence after his conviction on the same charges last December. The charges stem from the May 2 and 4 incidents at Mrs. Jackson's 6490 Spring Mill Road home. Robinson was accused of breaking into the home May 2 and again May 4 and of the May 4 murder. Judge John B.

Wilson Jr. set sentencing for 130 p.m. May 17. Deputy prosector John Schwartz said street will be reopened as soon as the concrete sets, in about 10 days. Madorin said he will tell the contractor, Reith-Reilly Construction not to start the second phase, which involves replacing the eastbound lanes, until June.

THE CONTRACT for the work was let a year and a half ago and the work started last fall. "I should have realized it would carry over until race time," Madorin said. Qualifications will be May 13-14 and May 20-21 and race day is May 28. At Monday's traffic committee meeting, chairman John Shettle, superintendent of Indiana State Police, asked DOT traffic engineer Charles Storms why the committee had not been informed of the construction so it could adequately plan. The committee has been meeting since February and Storms, a member of the committee, said no one had asked.

Shettle asked if the committee had to inquire from DOT about every street that is used for race traffic and Storms said it would not get an answer even if it did ask. The Weather Joe Crow Says: The Treasury may stop making pennies. They mutt figure if you need a coin worth one cent yon can always use a dime. Indianapolis Cloudy and cool today with rainshowers likely; high, 60. Cool and cloudy with showers ending 42.

Wednesday mostly sunny and pleasant; high, 62. Indiana Today cloudy and cool with showers likely; highs, 52-62. Rain ending tonight with continued coolness and cloudy skies in the north; lows, 37-43. Mostly sunny and pleasant Wednesday; highs, 58-64. Today's Prayer Lord, let us remember to try to spread good will through the spoken and written word, and through our mannerisms.

Then may we know the joy of giving Your love. Amen. he was "stunned and dissappointed" with the decision. "WE HAD a stronger case than the one on Willard, and Robinson was acquitted on the murder charge. The most serious charge he was convicted of was burglary and he could be out in four or five years, enjoying the spoils of his crime," Schwartz remarked.

Robinson sat impassively as the jury returned the verdict. The state's key witness, Marjorie Pol-litt, who shared with her ex-husband, Howard Willard, in the estimated $6 million rip-off from the eccentric widow's home, was pictured in closing argument by defense attorney Arnold Baratz as a woman who lied. "Everything Marjorie Pollitt says about Manuel Robinson could have been done by Howard Willard," Baratz claimed, adding: "WILLARD AND Pollitt were the only two people in the world who would say Manuel Robinson shot Mrs. Jackson, yet on the day he (Robinson) was arrested, he gave the names and telephone number of those people (Willard and Pollitt) to the authorities. Why would he do that if he had shot that woman?" Schwartz countered, "No one ever accused Robinson of being smart." Prosecutor aide Aaron Haith told the jury it was not necessary for the state to prove who pulled the trigger, but only that Robinson and Willard committed the burglaries and, during the second one on May 4, Mrs.

Jackson was killed. The death weapon was recoverd from White River after Mrs. Pollitt led authorities to the spot where she said Willard tossed it and an arms expert had testified the fatal bullet came from that gun. Baratz made some points by reminding the jury his client didn't skip town, as Willard and Pollit (who were arrested in Arizona) did, but stayed right here spending money like mad. "I DON'T think Manuel Robinson knew anyone was killed; he was too busy spending money," said Baratz in an obvious effort to try to convince the jury that while his client might have been along auring tne first burglary on May 2, he was absent from the scene two nights later when the murder allegedly occurred.

A defense witness, a woman, had testified she was spending the night with Robinson that evening a story totally contradicted by the testimony of Mrs. Pollitt. 3-Natiori Washington (UPI) State Department officials Monday prepared to release a convicted East German spy as part of a three-nation prisoner exchange, amid talk of a deal to free jailed Soviet dissident Anatoly Shcharansky. An East German lawyer was scheduled to fly to Washington this week to negotiate final details of an exchange of Robert G. Thompson, who has served 12 years in a U.S.

prison for leaking military data to the Soviets, for Alan Van Norman, a Minnesota college student Imprisoned In East Germany since last summer for trying to smuggle a family out of the country. Lawyer Wolfgang Vogel also was expected to propose a private effort to win freedom (r Shcharansky, a Jewish activ Amusements 1 4 Obituaries 29 Billy Graham 20 Sports 22-24 Bridge 10 TV-Radio 19 Comics 18 Want Adi 30-41 Crouword 7 Weather 41 Editorials 16 Werner 16 Finance 25-28 Women's Food 12 Paces Court News And Statistics 41 Prisoner Swap Being Arranged ist who has been imprisoned for 13 months. OTHER DISCUSSIONS were under way regarding more possible prisoner trades, State Department officials said. The Thompson-Van Norman exchange would complete a three-nation swap that began when Miron Marcus, an Israeli citizen, was released along the Mozambique border Sunday. "It was a 2 for 1 deal, which is a novelty in that business," said an aide to Rep.

Benjamin Gilman who helped negotiate the trade. The aide said East German diplomats in Mozambique apparently exerted influence on that nation to free Marcus as part of the deal. Thompson is serving a 30-year sentence at Lvisburg (Pa.) federal prison, Star Telephone Circulation 633-9211 Main Office 633-1240 Want Ads 633-1212 Scores After 4 30 633-1200 CMME ALERT If You See A Crime Committed Or Spot Suspicious Activity Call This Number 911-.