Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 1

jail clash aftermath; 1MB Resorts Bankrupt 10 car dealerships in South Jersey file for bankruptcy: 7C SOUTH JERSEY'S NEWSPAPER Mike Schmidt May face surgery: 1C XL LlL.J-J XL 11 HkII Stat bes ellmawr sewera Dateline: South pro home that the investigation does not worry him. "I'm old enough not to have no problems," Marcella said. "I'm 76 and I'm just about burnt out." Marcella said he didn't know what the investigation was all about, but he attributed it to political machinations of angry Bellmawr Democrats. Marcella's son-in-law is Republican Councilman Joseph Corrado. Marcella is a Democrat.

Marcella also said he was drawing state fire aimed at Toomey, the retired sewerage authority superintendent. Please see STATE, Page 5A age Authority for more than a year. Hagerty would not comment on the specifics of the investigation. Borough records and county law enforcement officials also confirm the investigation. Norman Muhlbaier of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said the county began the investigation of the Bellmawr Sewerage Authority about 18 months ago.

"We made an inquiry regarding certain facts about the sewer authority," Muhlbaier said. Muhlbaier said his office referred the case to the attorney general because of a possible conflict of interest. By TIMOTHY IRELAND Courier-Post Staff BELLMAWR The state Attorney General's office is investigating the borough's sewerage authority and the activities of authority member Phillip J. Marcella and retired authority superintendent Joseph Toomey. The investigation has included the subpoenaing of authority records, said Joseph R.

Puhala vice chairman of the authority. John Hagerty, spokesman for Attorney General W. Cary Edwards, said his office has been investigating the Bellmawr Sewer Members of the authority have been instructed by their solicitor, Robert Baxter, not to comment on the case. But sewerage authority minutes from 1987 connect authority member Phillip J. Marcella with the investigation.

The minutes also indicate that the authority tried to suspend Marcella last October, but the borough council, which must approve all disciplinary action against sewerage authority members, declined to take action against him. When asked if Marcella is the target of the state probe, Baxter said, "I think he is." A former borough councilman, Marcella said yesterday from his Wildwood summer Jersey Camden shopkeeper dies after beating CAMDEN A 34-year-old store owner who was knocked unconscious by a shoplifter died yesterday morning at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center, according to a spokesman for Camden County Prosecutor Samuel Asbell. Sung Chun, a native of South Korea and owner of Sam's Discount store on the 1100 block of Broadway, died at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center at 10:30 a.m., spokesman George Kerns said. The cause of death was unavailable. Police said he had suffered serious head injuries when he tried to stop a shoplifter from stealing a $2.49 bottle of shampoo Wednesday afternoon.

Detectives, who reported no arrests yesterday, are continuing their investigation. SEAN McKlNNEY FAA plan to cut noise won't benefit region South Jersey residents will not benefit from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) plans to cut airline noise above parts of New Jersey, FAA spokesman Peter Nelson said yesterday. The FAA plans, announced Thursday, pertain only to westbound flights operated from Newark International Airport, Nelson said. Because a study conducted for Philadelphia International Airport earlier this year showed noise levels over much of South Jersey to be below federal standards, there are no immediate plans to alter routes or altitudes of aircraft operated from or to that airport. "No air traffic changes are planned or contemplated in Philadelphia," Nelson said.

HUNG-YANG CHEN Motorists in Evesham asked to fight crime EVESHAM Township police here are trying to attract motorists with car telephones to its town watch program. Chief Joseph Leedom said the thousands of motorists who travel through the township could aid the police by reporting suspicious activities. He said motorists who witness anything suspicious should not assume someone has already called the police. And when a call is made, a description of what's happening and the exact locations of the incident should be given. Motorists with Bell Atlantic's Mobile system can dial 911 to reach the police, said Leedom.

Drivers with other systems can dial 983-1111 or 267-8300 to report crime, fire or accidents. The caller's name will be kept confidential, said Leedom. JUDY THOMAS Associated Press Acquitted: Anthony Accetturo (with arm in air) court yesterday after they and 1 8 others were and Michael Taccetta rejoice outside federal cleared of federal racketeering charges. NEWARK (AP) A federal jury yesterday acquitted 20 reputed mob figures of racketeering charges, ending what is believed to be the nation's longest federal criminal trial and handing the government a stunning The jury, which had been selected 21 months ago, read 77 separate innocent verdicts before the courtroom erupted in pandemonium. The defendants and their attorneys hugged and gave a standing ovation to the jury, which had deliberated just 14 hours.

The jury forewoman wept. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Grady O'Malley sat grimly as the verdict was read. "What's there to say? Apparently the jury just resented the length (of the trial) and the breadth of the indictment," he said.

The government had charged that Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo of Hollywood, and his co-defendants controlled a powerful New Jersey faction of the Lucchese organized crime family that had illegal gambling, loan sharking, drug dealing and fraudulent credit card operations. The defense tried to discredit the government witnesses, many of whom had serious criminal records. The government contended that only such insiders could tell the story of the organized crime family. Defense attorney David Ruhnke said the verdict was a "complete rejection" of lengthy government racketeering prosecutions against numerous defendants. "We think this is certainly the -last prosecution that can be brought like this," added defense attorney Miles Feinstein.

"My client is enormously thrilled by the result," said Accet-turo's attorney, Stephen Skoller. The defendants and their lawyers waited outside the courthouse to applaud the jurors as they emerged and then adjourned to a restaurant to celebrate. Some of the jurors blew kisses, waved and smiled broadly. All declined comment, driving off in a government van. Before the jury was dismissed, U.S.

District Judge Harold A. Ack-erman thanked the 12 jurors, saying, "I commend you in the highest terms for your dedication, your patience, your attentiveness." "I'm just glad it's over," the judge said later, adding he planned to go on vacation as soon as FBI: Rings for shuttle sabotaged SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The FBI said yesterday it is investigating apparent sabotage of O-rings destined for space shuttle booster rockets, a problem a NASA official said may have been motivated by a company incentive program. The defects were detected before any damaged rings were sent to the rocket maker. A "very small number" of 0-rings, that appeared to have been cut deliberately, were discovered in June by the manufacturer, HydraPak and the incident was reported immediately to the FBI, NASA, and rocket maker Morton Thiokol, said James Dockstader, vice president of oper ations for HydraPak. He said a check showed none of the flawed seals was shipped to Morton Thiokol.

"These things are inspected more times than you can hardly believe," Dockstader said. "But it's a serious nature. "This O-ring has a great deal of visibility in the space program and around the world, and we can understand that," he said adding: "They are handled very carefully." A faulty O-ring that allowed super-hot exhaust gases to escape sideways through a joint and ignite the shuttle's exterior fuel tank was blamed by a presidential commission for the Jan. 28, 1986, Challenger explosion. The blast killed the craft's seven-member crew and grounded the nation's shuttle program.

J.R. Thompson, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, said some HydraPak employees are suspected of damaging O-rings. It is suspected they did so to receive bonuses awarded to workers who found defects. "My understanding is they tightened internal final inspection, incentivized it or came up with some kind of program to make sure (no flawed O-rings) got out," Thompson told The Huntsville Times yesterday. PATCO officer critically hurt after 4-mile ride on stolen car said the events leading to yesterday's incident began Thursday when Purvis stole a silver 1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo from Joel Magaziner Ford in Glassboro.

From there, Purvis went to Wenonah where he stole some gasoline, Hill said. At 7 a.m. yesterday, Purvis allegedly committed a strong-arm robbery at a service station in Berlin Borough before going to the Lindenwold station of the PATCO High-Speed Line at about 8:50 a.m. At the station, a groundskeeper saw Purvis attempting to remove a car-phone antenna and notified PATCO police, Hill said. Schoener and Detective Robert Stubbins arrived in an unmarked van, saw Purvis take off, and began to pursue him.

Please see POLICEMAN, Page 2A By KAREN KOFOED MULDOON Courier-Post Staff An undercover PATCO police officer was critically injured yesterday when he was struck by a stolen car, then taken on a four-mile high-speed ride on the car's hood before he jumped off and was hit by the car a second time. Patrolman John E. Schoener, 33, of Mantua, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Stratford. Information about the nature of his injuries was unavailable. The driver of the car, Brian Christopher Purvis, 19, of Pitman-Downer Road, Williams-town, was being held in the Camden County Jail in default of $70,000 bail.

He was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a sto- JOHN E. SCHOENER held on to car at 60 mph len auto, possession of a weapon, strong-arm robbery and motor vehicle violations. PATCO police chief James Hill High school basketball player killed in fight among teens Weather Today: Partly sunny -Tonight: Cool Tomorrow: Partly sunny Full report Page 2A The argument began Thursday night at a carnival sponsored by St. John Neumann Church on Sicklerville Road, which is within walking distance of Patricia Lane. "It was over something dumb," said Mark Harrison, 17, a brother of Omar.

"Anna Osborne (Elijah's sister) was starting it (the argument) at the carnival." It continued after the teen-agers returned to their street, he said quietly, as he recalled the events of the night. Please see QUARREL, Page 2A is a juvenile, but two older brothers of the victim identified him as Richard Finney. The Camden County Juvenile Shelter at Lakeland confirmed that Finney was brought in yesterday but would not confirm the charge. Elijah Osborne, 18, whose family lives two doors away from the Harrison house, is charged with possession of a weapon. Osborne, who was observed providing the knife, was being held in the Camden County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail.

said her son bled to death after a main artery near his heart was severed. The stabbing took place outside his home at about 11:40 p.m. Thursday. Omar was the fourth youngest of eight children of Harrison and her 41-year-old husband, James, of Patricia Lane, in the Winslow Crossing development. A 17-year-old Camden resident is charged with the murder.

His name was being withheld by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office because he By THERESA A. GLAB Courier-Post Staff WINSLOW An argument that began at a church carnival ended with the stabbing death of a 15-year-old basketball player from Edgewood Regional High School. The victim, Omar Harrison, who was stabbed once in the chest, died at 1:15 a.m. yesterday in Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center, Camden. His mother, 37-year-old Donna Harrison, Inside jT--" Quayle: Resume is inaccurate Staff blamed for erroneous listing of investigation job BRezoningplea PagelB Resident along Route 70 points to crash as example in rezoning bid.

Pioneer spirit Page 1 0 Family's pioneer spirit helps change face of century-old Merchantville home. Police notebook: Page 2B Section A World-Nation Section Loeal-Clatiified Section Sports-Money Section Living-People Astrology 20 Entertainment 40 Classified 58 Experts 2D Comics 60 Obituaries 3B Crossword 60 People 20 DearAbby 2D Television 30 Editorials 6A Weather 2A State news: Page 4B El Puma thrills crowd in Camden They call him "El Puma" the mountain lion. And they came by the hundreds last night to see their hero, who's also known as Jose Ruis Rodriguez, Latin America's hottest entertainer. The Venezuela-born singer-actor gave the first of two scheduled performances at the Show-place nightclub on Admiral Wilson Boulevard. (A limited number of $33 dollar tickets are available for tonight's show.) Find out what attracts these fans on Page 2D.

Division of the Indiana Attorney General's office from 1970 to 1971. But the law creating the unit passed April 14, 1971, and the division did not even begin operations until July 1 of that year. Indiana officials said Quayle served as chief investigator from July until only mid-September, when he became administrative assistant to then-Gov. Edgar D. Whitcomb.

"He was assigned to our section in the spring of 1971," Robert Smith, the unit's first director and now an attorney in Indianapolis, said in a telephone inter BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) Sen. Dan Quayle acknowledged yesterday that a resume entry, portraying him as Indiana's chief consumer investigator for two years, was "inaccurate," but he said it should not be a major issue in his Republican vice presidential campaign. "All of these issues are side events. Many of them are untrue," Quayle said after facing reporters' questions about his erroneous biography, mediocre academic record and other issues that have dogged his campaign.

The official biography of the Indiana senator prepared by his Senate staff states that Quayle was "chief investigator" for the Consumer Protection view. EL PUMA Latic American heartthrob PlfjJbe see QUAYLE, Poe5A" attain, I.