Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page 31

of Me Defense- Education believes police brutality with Chicanos increasing SAN FRANCISCO In 1973, Dallas police officer Darrell Cain was questioning 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez about an $8 service station burglary. The officer placed what he said was an unloaded .357 caliber magnum to the boy's head and squeezed the trigger. The gun discharged and Santos Rodriguez was dead. Cain was convicted of the slaying in state court and is serving a five- year term: for murder with malice, that wasn't the end of it. In 1977, the incident led to formation of a community com.

mittee of Hispanics or Spanish-surnamed citizens that felt Cain should have received a stiffer sentence. By DAVID REYES Oregon Statesman Reporter THE COMMITTEE PRESSED for a federal grand jury investigation. It was joined in that effort by the MexicanAmerican Legal Defense and Education Fund or MALDEF. Vilma Martinez, MALDEF'S 34-yearold president and general counsel, says police brutality against Chicanos, always a problem, has become worse during the last two years. As proof she notes that 16 Chicanos were either beaten or shot to death by policemen during that period in California, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado alone.

MALDEF president says group's aim is to benefit as many as possible SAN FRANCISCO Vilma Martinez, president and general counsel of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), describes the 10-year-old organization's chief pursuit as civil rights litigation to "benefit the most people" possible. "MALDEF does not take individual cases; we're not legal aid. We try to do long form, impact litigation. We usually go into class action lawsuits," she said in an interview at the group's San Francisco headquarters. However, she said it occasionally bends its own rules.

She said, for example, that the nationally prominent Chicano organization once defended a Chicano who was beaten by Washington, D.C., police when he tried to talk with Justice Department lawyers. "He went to Washington to testify on the need to extend the Voting Rights Act to Mexican-Americans and subsequently got beat up," she said. VILMA MARTINEZ In cases like that MALDEF oftens VILMA MARTINEZ "Because of the many complaints we were receiving in the office last fall we feel that it must be reaching epidemic proportions," she said. DEMONSTRATIONS have occurred in Hispanic communities nationwide, including Houston, where a Chicano taken prisoner by three policemen was found drowned in a nearby river. Anti-police Bill Harrah: A shadow figure in world's biggest little city By FOSTER CHURCH Gannett News Service RENO, Nev.

The single characteristic of Bill Harrah that most impressed people was his reserve not only his reserve, but his unpretentious, almost shy manner. There was nothing in the shyness to indicate weakness in the man who built a struggling 1930's bingo parlor into a $161,000,000 Northern Nevada gaming empire. It was more the discomfort of a simple man who found himself in the complex, overlush, overpolished world that is Nevada gambling. Harrah, 67, died Friday afternoon, two days after undergoing heart surgery in Rochester, Minn. LISTENING TO HIM SPEAK on one of his rare and one would assume dreaded public appearances, one would receive the impression not of a smooth, high-powered millionaire businessman, but of an uncomfortable cowboy, surprised in his role at the head of the table.

Harrah himself freely admitted his shyness. He was afraid to meet strang-. ers, and uncomfort-ble at being placed in unfamiliar surroundings or situations. He apparently. did all he could in later years to shield himself from the rigors of the unexpected, and the mighty corporate wall of the Harrah's Corporation protected him not only from the hangers on, the fawning social climbers and the aggressive hustlers, but from the world and from the people of Reno.

ALTHOUGH HE WAS FAR FROM reclusive, he was a somewhat shadowy figure in a town long known as "the biggest little city in the world." No community enthusiasm college athletics, charities, the arts or Reno society cause Harrah to be much more than a name to most people. But the name and the institution which bore it has been one of the most important forces in Northern Nevada over the last two decades. That he was extraordinary goes without saying. But he was extraordinary in a unique and fascinating manner. The man who built Harrah's, which is generally believed to the best run, and one of the most profitable casino operations in the world, began in modest, even seedy, surroundings.

He used $500 to purchase his first gaming establishment a bingo parlor (it was called a circle game) in Venice, California. SUCCESS DIDN'T send him to Nevada it was law, which was cracking down on gambling in California. And his first casinos in Reno were hardly grandiose. He drank. And until the mid 1940's, there apparently was little to distinguish him from any other small business man with a passion for the bottle.

Some have attributed the sudden rise of the Harrah's organization to the fact that Harrah went on the wagon in the early 1950's and tended to business. Harrah was meticulous. He paid attention to detail. He was quiet, delegated authority and sought the advice of others. He was unaffected by wealth.

He did not sentiment is running high in many of them. Martinez directs a national civil rights organization including 17 staff attorneys and 66 support emloyees working out of offices in Denver, Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The head office is in San Francisco. MALDEF has a $1.5 million budget. It gets most of its money in the form of Ford and Rockefeller foundation grants.

It also has at its disposal $226,104 from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Martinez met with U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell last October to discuss 53 cases of alleged brutality that had occurred in a three-month period. MALDEF has since mailed a letter to President Carter urging him to form a White House Conference on Domestic Human Rights to clear the air.

During a meeting with the Congres- finds itself almost single-handedly protecting the legal rights of a MexicanAmerican population that now numbers 8 million and is growing rapidly. In April, Martinez told the National Conference on Minorities and the News, "The Census Bureau predicts that in 15 to 20 years the Latino community will outstrip the black community in number and acquire the dubious status of the largest minority in the country." She said that, coupled with the fact the Wall Street Journal now estimates the community's purchasing power at $31 billion a year, leads her to believe Latinos are just now coming into their own. Though only 34, she has been described as "the country's foremost Chicana lawyer" by Columbia University President William J. McGill, whose school awarded her its medal of excellence in recognition of her professional accomplishments. She was recently appointed to the University of California's Board of Regents by Gov.

Jerry Brown. She replaced Catherine Hearst, in the process becoming the first Chicano regent ever. She also was recently appointed to the Advisory Board on Ambassadorial Appointments by President Carter, and serves on the California Judiciary Selection Committee. But MALDEF remains her first love, and she invites those in need of its services to contact her or other officers at its national headquarters, 28 Geary San Francisco, Calif. 94108, telephone (415)-981-5800.

Advance registration set for new students MONMOUTH Advanced registration for fall classes for newly admitted students at Oregon College of Education will be held four times this summer, the school a announced. Students who will be new to the school this fall may attend any of the threehour sessions: 9 a.m. to noon Friday, July 14, Saturday, July 22, Friday, July 28, and .7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 20. Doyle Hiner LEBANON Doyle Hiner, 57, of 5760 South Santiam Highway, died Saturday in a Portland hospital.

Services are pending at Huston mortuary. Chester Stackhouse (Story also on Page ID) TURNER Chester R. Stackhouse, 72, 12123 Summit Loop NE, died Friday at home. Born in Nankin, Ohio, he came to the area in 1949 as athletic director and head football coach at Willamette University. He owned and operated Stackhouse Athletic Equipment in Salem since 1959.

Survivors include wife Sophie; daughter Ann Rule, Seattle; sister Bertha, Texas; six grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Barrick mortuary. Dorothy A. Lucas WOODBURN Dorothy A.

Lucas, 65, of 1999 Jansen Way, died Saturday in a Salem hospital. Born in Troutdale, she lived in that area until moving to Woodburn five years ago. Survivors include her husband Joe; sons David and Thomas, both of Portland; daughter Angela Townsend, Tillamook; sisters Evelyn Lampert, Troutdale, Marjorie Matches, Gresham, and Amy Deering, Woodburn; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Rosary and mass are scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at St.

Luke's Catholic Church, interment in Douglass Cemetery, Troutdale. Arrangements are in care of Cornwell mortuary. The family suggests contributions to the American Cancer Society. sional Hispanic Caucus three weeks ago, Bell was given four recommendations, the key one urging him to establish a timetable for dealing with 197 complaints brought to his attention by MALDEF. ACCORDING TO MARTINEZ, Bell said, "I don't believe in timetables but I believe in prompt action," and she replied, "If you believe in prompt action you should act in the Santos Rodriguez case before the statute of limitations expires next month (July 24)." Last week Carter said he has asked Bell to "look into" the Rodriguez case.

"I asked the attorney general, which is appropriate, to look into the case himself," Associated Press quoted the president as saying. "This is a case of high interest to the Spanish-speaking community in the Southwest, and again his decision would be made on the merits of the case." Martinez would like to see local police departments trained better. She believes the Justice Department could help by writing tighter restrictions into its Law Enforcement Assistance Administration grants. She also discussed that with Bell, describing the conversation as follows: of the things I said was, instead of using LEAA money to buy hardware, why don't you use LEAA money to help police departments train themselves? There are no national guidelines on the use of force as to what is proper." THE ORGANIZATION IS currently involved in about 100 cases nationwide. They center on such issues as employment discrimination, education, voting rights, immigration, housing and urbal renewal, in addition to police brutality.

MALDEF has taken on the task of documenting police brutality cases because, according to Martinez, they're "the grossest kind" of case. As she put it, "It's very visible and very horrible. I am a mother and I have had to personally turn down many mothers because MAL.DEF couldn't defend their sons who were being killed by police. When people cannot feel physically secure, there are few issues that are more basic." Opposed books tied up by user HELENA, Mont. (AP) Beverly Glueckert doesn't like some of the books at the Lewis and Clark County Library.

And she doesn't like working outside the system, either, to get them out of circulation. So, she checks out large numbers of books she finds objectionable, and then repeatedly renews them "to spread the word and keep them off the shelf and out of the hands of children." When Mrs. Glueckert tried to check out some books and renew eight others Thursday, she was refused. Director John Nichols said the staff has his permisson to refuse renewals when a person has all the books out on a particular subject. "It's a difficult situation," Nichols said.

"She's managing to worm her way right through the system and do what she wants to do, which is, basicaly, get books removed from the library." Gertrude B. Thomas CORVALLIS Gertrude B. Thomas, 76, a resident of Corvallis for the past six years, died Friday in a local care center. Born in Belding, she attended Eastern Michigan University and Cleary College in Ypsilanti, and worked at the Morrison-Knudson Boise, Idaho, for more than 40 years. She was a past worthy matron of the Adah Chapter 8, Order of Eastern Star, past president of Assembly 139, Social Order of Beauceant in Boise, Idaho, and member of Assembly 201, Social Order of Beauceant, Corvallis.

Survivors include daughter Margaret T. Buhler, Corvallis; son Dr. R. C. Thomas, Kalamazoo, sister Mrs.

Dale Lapham, Dunnellon, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at McHenry mortuary. Private concluding services are to follow at Mt. Crest Abbey, Salem.

The family suggests contributions to the Knight's Templer Eye Foundation or Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children. Jessie Dee Jennings NORTH BEND Jessie Dee Jennings, 67, of 363 Shutters Landing Road, several of whose children live in the Salem area, died Saturday in a Silverton hospital. Born in Turon, she was a member of the North Bend First Assembly of God Church. Survivors include daughters Ruth Owens, Twila Smith and Doris Reid, all of Salem, Vicki Darby, Turner, Lou Bentley, Yuba City, Jessie Pickett, North Bend, Carol Martin, Kent, and Helen Walsh, Colorado; sons Orville Lewis, Colorado, Royce and Gary Jennings, Salem, and Dan Jennings, Roseburg; 28 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Services are pending at Rigdon-Ransom mortuary.

Statesman Journal, Salem, Sunday, July 2, 1978, while You're away, www we'll Save it Stack it squander money and he possessed quiet, understated good taste. Perhaps the best expression of the Harrah personality was the automobile collection. The more than 1,500 antique cars on display in a mammoth, Sparks, Nevada warehouse, (just adjacent to Reno,) are meticulously restored and chosen with an eye for quality and a passion for authenticity which has made the Harrah's collection unquestionably the best in the world. -IN AN INTERVIEW several years ago, Harrah modestly denied the visionary label which some enthusiasts have placed on him. He said he was merely a good businessman who saw opportunities aand made the best of them.

He was probably right. The Harrah's organization has been characterized less by vision than by shrewd, careful planning and by the painstaking attention to detail which made its ventures work. Harrah's growth has certainly not been a visionary sprout. It was merely ten years after his arrival in Reno in 1937 that he purchased the Mint Club on North Virginia Street on the site of Harrah's present downtown casino-hotel. Nearly another decade passed before he expanded Harrah's to Lake Tahoe in 1955 and it was no-until 1969 that he opened the hotel and expanded the casino in Reno's gambling center.

The expansion of Harrah's at Lake Tahoe with its hotel tower did not take place until 1973. HARRAH'S BECAME THE FIRST business that derives most of its revenue from gaming to appear on the New York Stock Exchange. And the move again was not that of a visionary, but of an extremely careful, well-run business with highly sophisticated management. There are signs that Harrah's visionary or not was caught somewhat by surprise by the enormous expansion of gaming industry in Reno in the 1970's. Wavering between two locations in the Reno area for expansion, Harrah's slow, steady momentum was caught in the wake of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, which just two months ago opened the largest gambling facility in the world a facility which overshadows Harrah's Reno operation.

The irony of Harrah's death on the eve of the opening of three competitive new Reno casinos the MGM Grand, and the newly opened Sahara Reno and Circus Circus will not go unnoticed. It is indeed an extraordinary coincidence that Northern Nevada's most influential gaming figure should die at a time at which the face of a city he helped build is being permanently altered by the rapid growth in the gaming industry. Harrah's may have been outshown by the' brilliance of opening nights, but it will be less easy to dislodge the solid edifices that Bill Harrah constructed, first on Reno's Virginia Street and then at Lake Tahoe. He could have been a personal force in Reno. As it was, he was a somewhat impersonal force, but one who changed the face of his city.

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