Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 1

mm an els i i Reno Evening Gazette 20 Cents One-hundredth Year No. 175 A Speidel Newspaper Reno, Nevada, Friday, October 17, 1975 Phone (702) 786-8989 Fire starts in ruin of Humboldt Hotel amte darken leiraieca Will Eve Prather of City Electric, Inc. of Winnemucca, said the fire was right across the street from the firm. "Yes, it (the saddlery) is burned to the ground, but it looks like other buildings are just surrounded by-smoke," she said. Seven months ago to the day, March -17, the historic Humboldt Hotel here burned into ruins.

Billed as Northern Nevada's largest and oldest landmark, the five-story 100-room Humboldt was extensively damaged on the top three floors and late this spring destroyed by wrecking crews. Smoke, Page 2, Col. 8 that the windows are all blacked out," Black said. Black said the smoke was still covering the city and nearby shops were staying closed to prevent the smoke from entering their stores. "There is still a lot of smoke clear down the valley," Karen Alexander, employe of Brown Hardware, reported.

She said the fire was contained about 10:30 a.m., but firemen remained on the scene. The Nevada Highway Patrol and Winnemucca Police Department blocked off U.S. 40 through downtown Winnemucca. WINNEMUCCA Flames shot out of the remains of the old Humboldt Hotel this morning, destroying the hotel basement and one adjacent store, and causing severe smoke damage in at least one other store. Volunteer firemen and other local residents battled the blaze for about three hours before getting it under control When the blaze broke out at about 7:40 this morning, it was fanned by a brisk wind, and for a time it was feared the fire might spread much further than it did.

"The smoke is bad and black and thick, and they're having a tough time battling the fire," one resident said him he had lost all his merchandise in the blaze. Boner said Bendickson indicated he was insured for the damage. The building itself is reportedly owned by Security National Bank in Reno. About 20 firemen came to the scene, all members of the Winnemucca Volunteer Fire Department. Also, Boner said persons in the area helped the firemen fight the blaze.

Mike Black, who was at a newsstand down the street, said the Charme House, a knick-knack store owned by Bill Evans, received smoke damage but wasn't burning. "All I can tell is Fire officials could not be reached for comment. There was no immediate estimate of damage, or official word on the cause of the fire. "Flames were shooting out of both sides of the saddlery," Lee Boner, who went to the scene at 7:45 a.m., said. Boner, manager of KWMA radio in Winnemucca, said the saddlery was destroyed in the fire.

"The fire started in the basement of the old Humboldt Hotel, which is also part of the saddlery. By the time I got there, the flames had penetrated the floor and then they started through the roof," Boner said. He talked to Ken Bendickson, owner of the saddlery, and Bendickson told early this morning when the fire was at its peak. But by 10:30 the fire had been brought under control. Mop-up operations reportedly were under way.

The fire burned the Big Hat Saddlery, which shared the same basement with the old hotel, which itself burned down earlier this year, leaving only the basement-annex area intact. The nearby Charme House reportedly suffered considerable smoke damage, and one source said Mimi's Clothing Store, across the street from the saddlery, also suffered heavy smoke damage. 'i s- i mmi mm it New York omi brink of ruin Frantic search to prevent financial collapse The city's 11 major banks reaffirmed a previous, agreement not to press for redemption of another $59 million in city notes due today. Fiscal experts said that without the banks' agreement, the city would have needed that much more to avoid default. At the city controller's office, a spokesman said holders of $250 million in notes had already filed for redemption and that several firms, mostly brokers, showed up today with about $30 million more in notes.

He said they were given receipts saying they would be exchanged for cash at 2 p.m. if the cash or its equivalent is available. In Albany, the Court of Appeals, the state's highest, cleared the way for the state comptroller to use state police pension funds to raise $250 million for the cash-drained city. But a hitch developed in New York City when the United Federation of Teachers continued to refuse to commit $150 million in its retirement funds toward a complex $2.3 billion bailout plan that the state government had put together a month ago to keep New York solvent through November. Albert Shanker, president of the teachers' union, met with Beame, but the nature of the discussions was not disclosed.

Shanker said, however, that he had not changed his position on the use of teacher pension funds. "I deeply regret that one group is singled out when there are plenty of others with funds, and no pressure is applied on them," Shanker said. New York, Page 2, Col. 1 By MALCOLM CARTER NEW YORK (AP) Rebuffed by the President in their last-minute appeals for federal help, state and city officials searched frantically today for some other way to pull New York City back from the brink of financial collapse. President Ford's press secretary said in Washington that Ford would "not take action to prevent a New York City default.

Spokesman Ron Nessen added that none of the President's chief advisers were trying to persuade him to modify his long-standing opposition to federal aid for the city. Mayor Abraham Beame had said he had an "open line" to the White House, but Nessen said the White House meetings were being held "purely to keep up with a rapid, fluid and changing situation" not to canvass possible solutions. Rep. Peter Peyser, a Republican congressman from suburban Westchester, said he telephoned from New York to Treasury Secretary William Simon and asked that the federal government advance the city $150 million in federal payments due later. He said Simon consulted with Ford and "very plainly stated to me that the federal government would take no action today in the immediate crisis facing the city." Efforts by the city to avoid default on its financial obligations by a 3 p.m.

deadline, the closing hour of the city's major banks, focused on shoring up a multimillion-dollar package of pension funds to meet $453 million in debt obligations due today 1 irJ ri mm mi win -mm mum i twm.l ABRAHAM BEAME embattled mayor Quick refund for delivery delays ail order reform due Senator mans the pumps To help dramatize the second year of pumps at a Cambridge, the Arab oil embargo, Sen. Henry gasoline station today. The station was Jackson, helped on the gas selling gas at 1973 prices for hours. (UPI photo) Sentence for Youse: Index to Gazette 4 sections 54 pages SECTION ONE Doctor column 9 Editorials 4 Family living 6-7 SECTION TWO Amusements 20-21 Markets 18-19 Sports SECTION THREE Ann Landers 24 Bridge 24 Classified 26-33 Comics 24' Crossword puzzle 30 Deaths 25 Earl Wilson 24 Public notices 25 Vitals 25 Weather 25 SECTION FOUR Entertainment guide 20 pages Television log 10-11 secretary requests, the seller musl cancel the order. The order does not cover services connected with merchandise, principally mail order photo finishing.

Also excluded are magazines and other serial deliveries. The commission said the majority of mail order complaints it has received "deal with delays in delivery or outright failure to deliver merchandise and almost half express extreme frustration due to the failure of mail order sellers to responsibley answer inquiries concerning orders." The commission said that some delays in filling orders are unavoidable and out of control of the seller. But, it said, delays cart frequently be attributed to the fact that many sellers place advertisements or solicit orders for merchandise either without sufficient quantity on hand or with no stock at all. By MIKE SHANAHAN WASHINGTON AP) The Federal Trade Commission said today that the multibillion dollar mail order industry must deliver orders to consumers on time starting early next year or provide a quick refund if customers ask for it. A new regulation issued by the FTC places the burden for delays in delivery directly upon the seller.

The regulation will take effect Feb. 2. Asked why the new rule was not dated to cover the coming Christmas mail order rush, FTC officials said the long distance merchandising industry needed time to prepare for the change. Joan Z. Bernstein, acting director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said that with the exception of car purchases and repairs, mail order sales draw more consumer complaints than any other kind.

"It has been a major source of consumer frustration," she said at a news conference. Under the new rules, a consumer must be told by a mail order house if a delivery cannot be made by a promised time. If no specific delivery date is promised, the mail order firm first must notify the consumer if the shipment will take more than 30 days. The consumer then has the option of either agreeing to a specified period of delay or obtaining a refund within seven days. Mrs.

Bernstein said various estimates of the volume of mail order sales range between $14 and $40 billion each year in the United States. She said among the potential penalties for mail order firms that violate the new rule is a $10,000 a day fine for each day the company fails to comply. The FTC said the buyer must be furnished with an adequate cost-free means to notify the seller of his intention to cancel a sale. If the buyer so 18 months in prison Del Chemical Corp. President Rocco Youse today was sentrficed to 18 months in prison and fined $10,000 for income tax evasion.

U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Thompson said he was convinced Youse, 50. had wilfully and deliberately evaded federal tax laws "for a period of several years." Youse had pleaded guilty Aug. 15 to a charge of understating his income and not paying taxes during 1970. Federal attorneys dropped 12 other charges following the plea.

Youse admitted reporting taxable income of $189,488 and a tax liability of $103,120 in 1970, when he actually had income of $205,250 and a tax of $157,124. Defense attorney Jimmy Johnson noted the exact amount of Youse's tax liability has not been determined because cases are still pending in U.S. tax courts. Johnson, in asking for probation, said a prison term would have a serious effect on the Del Chemical Corp. of Nevada which Youse still heads.

Youse, who gave up control of Del of Wisconsin in a settlement with a former wife earlier this year, had faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine or both. Thompson ordered that the sentence be imposed immediately and Youse, after a brief meeting with attorneys and a quick kiss for his wife, was taken away by U.S. marshals. Last March, Youse was sentenced to pay a fine of $1,000 and was placed on three years probation after being convicted of bribing a public official in Oshkosh, Wis. takes oath WASHINGTON (AP) -Thomas S.

Kleppe was sworn in today as Secretary of the Interior, promising "a movement from problems to accomplishments" in a department that has been without a secretary for most of this year. Kleppe has been administrator of the Small Business Administration and is a former two-term congressman from North Dakota. Introducing him at the swearing-in ceremony in the White House East Room, President Ford said Kleppe was the first native of North Dakota to enter the cabinet. While Kleppe has no obvious record of experience in environmental and natural resources issues, Ford said his "rural roots initiative and good common sense" would see him through. Ford said Kleppe's job would be to protect the environment and at the same time find ways to extract vitally needed energy resources for the nation.

Kissinger leaves today for China Weather Reno, Sierra, Tahoe: Increasing clouds tonight. Chance of showers Saturday. Cooler. Weather table on page 25. More stores to be closed by W.

T. Grant NEW Grant which earlier this month filed for bankruptcy protection, said today it will close an additional 100 stores in 10 states by late December. The closings would be in addition to the 201 stores Grant said earlier it will close by Nov. 30. WASHINGTON AP) Secretary of State Henry A.

Kissinger is making his eighth trip to China, a routine journey designed to prepare for President Ford's visit there later this year. The trip the secretary starts today lacks the drama of Kissinger's first trip in 1971, when he faked illness to sneak into China. There will be some issues discussed before he returns to Washington next Thursday, but the main purpose will be to make sure everything is ready for Ford when he goes to Peking about Thanksgiving time. The movement toward a better U.S.China relationship has slowed considerably since the heady days following President Richard M. Nixon's historic visit to Peking in 1972.

U.S. officials say this was expected and does not reflect any dissatisfaction by either side, but simply means the time has been reached when systematic diplomacy replaces dramatic summitry. Ford, who will be making his first, trip to China as president, will be the' symbol of the normal state of relations between Washington and Peking, the officials say, even if nothing sub-' stantive results. For Kissinger, this tour will give him an opportunity to size up the Chinese leadership situation, particularly the health of Peking's two top leaders, Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai. There has been speculation that both are so seriously ill that a power void has been created.

In fact, some administration sources say Kissinger has commitments only to see Teng Hsiao-ping, the No. 3 man who is acting premier in Chou's place. Slaying case figure links Nevada man to mass murders Oklahoma and Kansas. He said some of The mur itinerant painters after they picked him up on a WALLACE. Idaho (AP) A former sexton at an a telephone interview with the Associated Press.

"There's just a lot of crazies in the world." "I hope the son of a burns," he said. Creech also claimed to have killed two people in Nevada: Gordon Lee Stanton, 44, of Las Vegas, and Charles Thomas Miller in Good Springs, near Las Vegas. Las Vegas police said the information Creech gave them about Stanton led to the recovery of the victim's body. Creech has been charged with that murder, the spokesman said. They did not find the body of Miller, he said.

As far as when Nevada will try Creech on the Stanton murder, the spokesman said, "We're going to have to get in line because this guy is wanted in a lot of states." Creech said he was telling the story because he was tired of running. Slayings, Page 2, Col. 5 ders were committed during human sacrifices by satanic cults. Creech called himself a professional killer for a motorcycle gang involved in national drug traffic. During the testimony, Creech claimed that Peter Simon, the owner of a motel-casino in Jean, outside Las Vegas near the California border, ordered all 42 killings.

However, Las Vegas police discounted the accusation saying they had investigated the entire matter previously, a spokesman said today. Creech had worked for Simon at the "Pop's Oasis" and was fired, a spokesman said. "We decided this was Creech's way of trying to get back at Simon," he said. Simon, 24, when notified of the accusations early today, said this was the first time he had heard of it, despite a police investigation. "Are you kidding me, what a nut," Simon said in remote Central Idaho mountain highway Nov.

4. Creech testified he met John Wayne Bradford, 40, and Edward Thomas Arnold, 34, at Grand Junction, a month before their deaths and was involved in drug-running with them. But he said other members of the ring killed them. Defense attorney Bruce O. Robinson told the jury he planned a full disclosure of Creech's life and said it would be "complex and shocking." But he said the jury was not to conclude Creech was "a coldblooded thrill-killer." Creech already is charged with a pair of murders in Oregon.

And authorities in Nevada, California and Wyoming said they wanted to see whether Creech is convicted and gets the mandatory death penalty for first-degree murder in Idaho before filing any charges in their states. Creech also claimed to have committed murders in Ohio, Washington, Utah, New Mexico, Montana, Episcopalian church on trial for two murders sat calmly on the witness stand, smiling occasionally, as he described the deaths of 42 persons he claims to have killed in satanic worship and drug dealing. Thomas Eugene Creech, 25, of Portland, spent a full day Thursday on the witness stand, denying that he was guilty of the two murders for which he is on trial. If his bizarre account of the other murders is true, it would become the largest mass murder case in U.S. history.

Law enforcement officials in several states discounted many of his claims, saying they had investigated earlier statements from Creech and found nothing. But other officers said they had found bodies on information given them by Creech and more charges might be filed. Creech took the stand as the first witness in his own defense against the accusation that he shot two 1 THOMAS CREECfif ...42 killings? i.