Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 4B

Florida 4B TODAY, Tuesday, September 18, 1979 ReportsFrom TpDAY Staff Writers, Bureaus and Wire Services i i The State Auto Chase Ends With Two Deaths They Said It Amateur Shun Reward Fortune TODAY Wlrtrvlctl FORT LAUDERDALE A car chase following an armed robbery ended Monday with a head on collision that left two robbery suspects dead and both occupants of the other car seriously injured, police said. A fifth victim of the afternoon melee, a store clerk shot in the chest during the robbery, was hospitalized in fair condition, police said. The Broward County Sheriff's Department said the episode began when two men held up a convenience store near Fort Lauderdale. After shooting a female store clerk in'he chest, the pair fled with an jindiscloselsumofmoneyand male clerkasa hostage, said Sgt. Kris Karavanic.

The men stopped their car near an Interstate 95 interchange and released their hostage after pistol whipping him, Sgt. Karavanic said. As they fled south on 1 95, Deputy Sheriff Mike Hoffman recognized the car from a police broadcast and gave chase, she said. The men exited 1 95 a short distance to the south and continued fleeing until their car crashed head on on Griffin Road into a car occupied by an elderly couple, Sgt. Karavanis said.

16 Motions Filed I.AKF. CITY The deadline for filing pre trial motions in Theodore Bundy's trial for the kidnappingkidnapping murder of 12 year old Kimberly Diane Leach Monday, with about 16 defense motions having been filed. Among the motions filed over the past two weeks by Dundy's attorneys, Victor Julian Africano, of Live Oak, and Lyn Thompson, of Tallahassee, Is one ctfftng for the appointment of a public opinion pollster to gauge the community's feelings about the crime. The Leach girl was abducted from the grounds of the Lake City Junior High School on Feb. 9, 1978.

After an extensive and well publicized search, her partially decomposed body was found on the following April 7 under the tin roof of an abandoned hog imi alxmt 20 miles from Live Oak. Glisson Is Called Back TALLAHASSEE Secretary of State George Firestone opted for experience Monday and brought back Dorothy Glisson as director of the Florida Division of Flections. Mrs. Glisson, currently a deputy secretary of stale, was head of the elections division for 21 years from 1955 to 1976. She replaces Betty Castor who resigned to return to Tampa.

"In view of the upcoming presidential preference primary, Mrs. Glisson is one of the few people who can handle this increased responsibility," Firestone said. "With national attention focusing on Florida, it is mandatory that' we have someone who is knowledgeable und experienced with the election laws and their administration." Manager Changes Jobs PETERSBURG. Va. John Bond III, assistant JjyjBanagetjrf MiamjMonday named city manager of Petersburg, effective Oct.

29. Bond, 41, succeeds William Cook, who resigned last April to accept the city manager's job in King sport, Tenn. Bond has held his current Dost since June 1978 Ix fore that served as deputy city manager and director of public safety in Winston Salem, N.C. Exam Scores Better TALLAHASSEE Florida high schoolers are paring the South and rapidly catching up with the rest of the country on college entrance examinations, Education Commissioner Ralph Turlington reported Monday. The latest, results on the math and verbal portions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) show Florida juniors and seniors scoring 12 points higher than they did two years ago for an 890 combined score.

Nationwide, the mean was 894 in 1978 79, down five points since 1976 77 and narrowing the'gap between Florida high schoolers and the rest of the country from 21 to four points. The rest of the South, meanwhile, was way behind showing an aggregate score of 845. This is three points off the southern average two years ago. Thieves Get Big Haul JACKSONVILLE While a Morehead City, N. couple was visiting with their son and his family, thieves took their pickup truck Monday containing more than $100,000 in silver and antiques.

J. Frank Cheek said he and his wife had purchased the silver and antiques at an antique show in Orlando Sunday. They spent SundayJiight with their son en route to their home where Cheek has been an tmtique dealer for 10 years. The truck 'was parked outside his son's house. Cheek said.

The thieves managed to move one car to get the truck out of the driveway and then they deactivated a sensitive burglar alarm system in the truck. Cheek said he and his wife watched to make sure nobody was following them when they came to Jacksonville. He has particularly careful, he said, since the price of silver hit a high of $13.13 an ounce. MIAMI (AP) A minor fortune in reward money is wailing for the amateur sleuths who can crack a variety of crimes in South Flor ida. But there aren't many takers mostly, police say, because modern bounty hunting is a tough way to make a buck.

"The case is at a dead end" before a reward is posted, explained one Miarfii Police detective, who asked that his name not be used. "People put up some money Teens' Facility Probed FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) State prosecutors are investigating allegations of abuse, neglect and sexual misconducfat a state funded home for troubled teenagers, authorities said Monday An operator of the home calls the charges false and impossible. Assistant State Attorney Samuel A. Price of Fort Lauderdale said he'll Issue subpoenas this week for sworn testimony in his probe of the Watkins Shelter near Pom pano Beach. Price declined to say who would be ordered to testify.

The shelter has been used fo house up to a dozen youths at a time, providing shelter for boys and girls from age 12 to 18 who have had difficulties at home. Most stay an average of about eight days, usually until their home situation is smoothed out, officials said. After the home was opened by pharmacist John Watkins and his wife Sophia last November, state Health and Rehabilitative Services officials investigated charges of misconduct and i poor care. Price said the state attorney's office received the charges "second hand through an anonymous person." He said the man making the charges apparently is a neighbor who became concerned about youths from the shelter. "He stepped in and helped," Price said, reportedly providing clothing, food and even care for youths suffering multiple insect bites.

Price said state prose TutorSTiaVern Talked to the man yet but plan to question him under oath soon. He declined to release the man's name until after the questioning. The man's allegations included that "certain boys indicate they had been raped" and that a part time worker al the center was "sexually involved with one of the boys," Price said. He said the HRS probe found no substantiation of that charge but added there did appear to be verification of sexual rela tions'among youths at the shelter. Mrs.

Watkins called the allegations against her shelter false and termed the sexual abuse charge "impossible." "I've questioned the children involved," she said Monday, "and all of them 'say, 'Mom, no way." hoping that somebody close to the scene will bite. "You get some nuts calling, but that's about it. Still, you figure enough nuts call, you're going to get a live one," he said. But a check with police, newspaper and insurance files showed at least (175,000 in rewards going begging. Even the $120,000 offered by insurance firms for return of jewels stolen from the Palm Beach Towers building in 1976 hasn't worked.

And the $25,000 offered in the 1976 auto bombing that shattered the legs of Miami radio newsman Emilio Mil ian went unclaimed. The offer was withdrawn by Susquehanna Broadcasting Co. after two years "We did get a lot of Trallr from some strange people, but nothing that produced any leads for the police," said Herbert M. Levin, company vice president and general manager. "We put it up there for two years.

We withdrew it after that time because, frankly, it produced nothing." Other money in search of a clue: $15,000 in tHevtheft last Friday of $192,000 in jewels and 35 poundiof jold fromjL jewelry store in Boca Raton. $10,000 in the 1979 murder of Martha Brunhoff, shot In Littleton, Colo. Her son, Nathan Brunhoff of Grand offered the money in the belief the murder was engineered in Miami. $5,000 in the 1976 strangulation of Michelle Winters, a 17 year old Fort Lauderdale girl. $5,000 in the murder of David Young, a 20 yeaf old hacdwarexlerkJshQLjn Miami in 1976.

$5,000 for the stabbing death of Rafael Gonzales in Miami on a Miami street in July. "Not a single person has come forward," said Gonzales' father, Rene, who put up the money. "I can't believe it myself." Why don't rewards work? Polic say the work can be just plain tough for an amateur. Also, many reward offers contain a hooker they affix "arrest and con viction" to the payoff fferr making it tougher to actually collect. Another drawback is many people may not like the risk of poking around in criminal cases.

Marshall Cassedy on announcing that he will resign as dtrector of the Florida Bar: "After 21 years of public service, I feel a change at this time is in the best interests of the Florida Bar and the Cassedy family." Rep. James Harold Thompson, Quincy, who has filed a bill that would make it easier for families to buy back their homes if the property is sold because of delinquent taxes, comments on the case of edo and Hattie Mae Kenon, who lost their home over a $3.05 delinquent tax bill: "It is very sad. But I think those people (Kenons) are going to come out all right, one way or another." Polls: Dade Voters Cool On Tax Cut TODAY UPI SECURITY GUARD ARTHUR KRIEDLER SUFFERS SMOKE INHALATION he is placed on stretcher during Americana Hotel fires Arsonist Hunted in 3 Blazes; Americana Hofel Guests Flee BAL HARBOUR (AP) Authorities Monday werk searching for an arsonist they say started three fires that forced the evacuation of approximately 300 guests and caused at least $25,000 worth of damage at. the Bal (arbour AmencaTS'Hbtef; "We have no prime suspects at this time," Dade County Fire Lt. C.L.

Shom ers said Monday. No one was seriously injured in the Sunday night incident at this Miami Beach suburb. "It could be a disgruntled employee or somebody trying to make himself look good by setting the fire and putting it out," Shomers said. He said his office has turned over the investigation to Dade County and Bal Harbour police. The fires broke out in utility rooms on the sixth, seventh and eighth floors of the 12 story ocean front structure.

Hotel security guard Arthur Kricola, 27, was hospitalized in stable condition suffering from smoke inhalation. Eight guests with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure were given oxygen after they trekked down six flights of stairs. The eight were among some 30 evacuees, age 40 to 75, who were participating in a health seminar at the hotel. "The were very frightened, but they came out of it okay," said Dr. Robert the group's physician.

MIAMI (AP) A typical homeowner's tax bill for many services in Dade County could be slashed from $300 to 16 cents in a special election Tuesday but pollsters say voters seem inclined tn turn down the tax cut. One of the reasons for the reaction against proposed cuts, say officials, is incorrect wording in the original petition by tax rebel Harry Wilson. He actually was seeking cuts of 50 percent, but because "of the mistake, the petition demanded tax cuts of 99.5 percent. County government officials, civic organizations and police and firefighter groups have fought hard to halt the proposal which they say 'could gut vital services. About half the county's l'2 million residents live in unincorporated areas and the others in 27 cities including Miami.

The county's "umbrella" government provides many services county wide. Those, says county Manager, Merrett Stierheim, would suffer most from loss of 99.5 percent of the property tax that supports services across the county. Among his forecasts: One in five policemen would be, fired, along with a third of the county's firefighters. Bus services, street lighting, medical care for the poor and many other services would be crippled. "Cutting down police protection at a time when crime is going up," Stierheim says.

"I can't believe it wouldn't involve loss of life." An ad in Miami newspapers ever the weekend showed a policeman saving a child. "Some still call him pig," it said. "Call him what you will. Vote against the tax Capital of Nation Is 'Lost' to Pupils ST. PETERSBURG (AP) Teacher Wendell Howze decided it was time to get back to basics when lwo (hirds of his ninth grade geography students couldn't tell him where the nation's capital is located.

That wasn't all. Some of the students placed Antarctica in the American Midwest and got Europe and Africa mixed up. "I'm befuddled," he said. "I asked them to tell me what states touched Washington, D.C. "They had some idea the city is near the East Coast.

One student said Ohio. The closest they got was West Virginia' Howze said his quiz was inspired by a conversation this summer with a former Boca Ciega High School student. The young woman had no idea where Washington was and Howze decided to see whether current students at the school could do any better. Most couldn't. "On every question I gave the class at leaslAwo thirds of the students were totally off base," he said.

"These kids have somehow missed the whole boat," Howze said. He speculated teachers may be skipping over basic material on the assumption students have learned it before. So Howze is starling over, using blank maps and telling his students to "write down every word or place they don't know." Howze said geography isn't the only problem subject. One 11th grade American history student asked for a transfer saying he couldn't handle a simple memorization assignment. When questioned, the youth explained that he couldn't read a paragraph.

"I wanted to cry," Howze said. referendum or you won't be able to call him at all." The ad was paid for by a citizen group called Taxpayers to Save Our Services. Stierheim, along with past government leaders, including former Gov. Reubln Askew and one time Miami Mayor Robert Floyd, has appealed for defeat of the issue. A Miami Herald poll published on Sunday found 45 percent of respondents against tha tax cut with 18 percent in.

favor and 29 percent undecided. The remainder either wouldn't say or don't intend to vote. A survey for WTVJ TV one week earlier also showed a heavy margin against the cut. Leaders Of Revolt Sought CLEARWATER (AP) Police were trying to identify ringleaders Monday among inmates who staged an uprising in the Pinellas County Jail, burned a chaplain's office and took two jailers and an attorney hostage. The hostages were freed after deputies stormed the jail late Sunday.

Police said no one was injured. Sheriff William Roberts said 20 to 30 of the 100 secondsecond floor prisoners took part "in the uprising. "We aren't going to take it any more," said a man who called the St. Petersburg Times and identified himself as an inmate. "We aren't going to take this treatment." The sheriff is the object of a class action suit alleging overcrowding, lack of recreation and other programs, poor ventilation and sanitation at the jail.

The suit is scheduled for trial later this week in federal court at' Tampa. Sheriff's spokesman Merrill Stebbins said Monday there had been no negotiation of the prisoners' complaints. "It never opened up. Lines were never established to discuss it with them," he said. Stebbins said investigators were working to identify prisoners who took part in the disturbance.

Lewis Dumps Carter for Sen. Kennedy TALLAHASSEE (AP) Florida's first statewide elected official to abandon President Carter, Comptroller Gerald Lewis, said Monday he supports Sen. Edward Kennedy, in the 1980 presidential race. And Lewis, who became chairman of the Florida for Kennedy Committee, added he hoped his action will make it easier for other politicians to join Kennedy forces. "I detect indications that as time goes on we will see others join the Kennedy ranks," said Lewis, who collected nearly 700,000 votes in the Democratic primary last year.

He ran unopposed in the general election in November. Even though he said two weeks ago that he'd support Carter's re election bid, Lewis said that he was convinced in recent weeks that Kennedy will indeed seek the party's nomination. "Every time you pick up the paper you read that more members of are urging him to run," Lewis said. "You see what his colleagues are doing and it's pretty clear that they want him to run." Wearing a "Kennedy 80" button, Lewis said he had supported Carter as long as Kennedy made it clear he wasn't run Graham Nominates Student TALLAHASSEE (UPI) Gov Bob Graham nominated John Goldsmith of Tampa late Monday to serve as the student member of the Board of Regents, which sets policy for the state university system. Goldsmith, 21, is a senior prelaw student at the Uni versity of South Florida In Tampa and presently selves as president of the studenf body and as chairman of the state Council of Student Body Presidents.

ning. But with the Massachusetts senator dropping hints that his candidacy is not out of the question, Lewis said he decided to abandon the president. "I think this country desperately needs to get moving again," Lewis said at a press conference with three Kennedy posters hanging in front and behind him. "I think the only thing we need is the leadership Sen. Kennedy can give us." In a recent Associated Press interview, Kennedy called the nation's reponse to his potential candidacy heartening and added a 1980 challenge to Carter would not divide the Democratic Party because it already is split.

"The events of the last two weeks have convinced Tne that Sen. Kennedy will be a candidate, especially if we can convince him that the'people of this state and the people of this country want his leadership," Lewis said. Lewis and Sergio Bendixen, a member of the Democratic National Committee from Florida, said the comptroller's public support of Kennedy might Jtejp other elected officials to join the senator's ranks. "I think his coming out is going to make is easier for other public officials to come out for the senator," Bendixen said. "His help will "What he has done exemplifies political courage at the very best," Bendixen said of Lewis.

Lewis, who went to law school in Massachusetts and worked on Sen. John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1960, said his support for the family dates back to the 1950s. And like his two late brothers, Kennedy has the leadership the United States needs, Lewis said. "I think the key issue is Sen.

Kennedy's leadership and I think we desperately need that leadership as we move into the 1980s," said Lewis. I AdL' Jen HEf vMr9Rl HUI OH HK jjUj' COMPTROLLER LEWIS MAKES CHANGE Kennedy posters surround official.